Vale Ghoul
by DekktheODST
Summary: In the metropolitan city known as Vale, a young man who goes by the name Jaune finds himself in an odd and familiar circumstance, landing him in the middle of a conflict between beasts known as 'Ghouls' and Humans. Not only does a battle occur between Ghouls and Humanity in the city, but also in Jaune's mind... (AU) (Characters from RWBY and TG)
1. Human:Ghoul

**A/N:**

**This will be an AU fic, if you couldn't tell, and will have its own unique story. It will still function on TG physics, and will have characters from both RWBY and TG in it.**

**If you want to see the full resolution of the thumbnail, check out my deviantart filmcreatorx.**

* * *

How much red did it take to dye a white knight black? I was told the answer was split in two, a flood and a drop. A flood, which could dull the mind until the red was all there could be. Even so, I was more interested in the drop. The logic behind that was that the drop, if it was something you cared about, would shatter you far faster than any flood.

I smiled at the thought, glancing up at the light February sky. Snow gently drifted down from the gray expanse, settling on my nose. My hand adjusted the scarf around my neck, my gaze glancing around the city.

People crossed streets, stepping around cars and continuing their lives. Their chitchat mixed with the car horns and the sounds of the city, forming an opera of the metropolitan city, Vale.

It was my first year living in this city. I was accepted into the college known as Beacon University, where I was mostly studying biology, along with some philosophical classes on the side. Nobody ever believed me when I said that of course since I think I don't really give a vibe of being an intellectual.

With a shiver, I walked into the coffee shop. The warmth of the heater washed over my skin, a sigh of satisfaction escaping me. Glancing around the shop, I looked for the person I had planned to meet.

"Jaune! Over here!" Said the voice. I glanced around, my eyes settling on the red haired girl named Pyrrha. Her green eyes met mine, a large smile on her face. I returned the motion, walking over with a slight shiver. She looked down, her face turning red slightly. "I was early, sorry."

"That's nothing to apologize for." I chuckled. "If you keep saying sorry people will think you're Canadian and not Greek."

"Very funny." She said, crossing her arms. Pyrrha had been a friend of mine for ages, longer than I could remember. It still surprised me I got into the same school as her, considering her grades. Even so, I was happy that we could still meet up like this.

"Don't be like that, you know I was kidding."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get us coffee. You want the usual?" She asked, standing. I nodded, thanking her as she walked over to the counter.

_"And in breaking news, another murder has taken place in the 7th ward. A mother and her child were mutilated, most notably the stomach of the woman and the face of the daughter. The current suspect is a Ghoul, most likely the Rose."_

I grimaced, looking over at the news announcer as she held up her papers, trying to keep back a look of disgust. I glanced back at Pyrrha, who calmly placed my coffee in front of me.

"Thanks." I said, taking it in hand and blowing on it gently. Brushing back my blonde hair and taking off my scarf, I leaned back to look at the news report.

"Another Ghoul attack, huh? It seems they're getting more common every day now."

"Its unfortunate, I just hope the police can start cracking down on those monsters."

Ghouls, a separate species that are said to feast upon human flesh. They're a minority among the population, so nobody really knows much about it. Some say they are great predators, monsters of red mass and teeth. Others portray them as humans in disguise, slowly stalking their prey.

I slowly took a sip of my coffee, turning to the window and glancing outside.

"Its beautiful outside, though." I said, changing the subject. Pyrrha giggled, leaning in and glancing out my window.

"Yeah, it is. I had to buy a jacket just for this." She said, pointing to her chest. I stiffened, looking away.

"It looks good on you. I'm just using a hoodie for the time being." I said, glancing down at my black hoodie. On the inside was a red fabric, which had a slight fuzz to it. It wasn't anything fancy by any stretch, but it did well against the cold.

"Careful, cute girl, 2 o'clock." Pyrrha said, taking a sip of her coffee indiscriminately. I instantly turned my head, Pyrrha grabbing my arm. "Don't look! That's not subtle!"

I started forward, glancing at my coffee.

"Okay...? How do I look at her then."

"Just...take a quick glance."

"Why is this so hard?" I sighed, glancing back behind me. Instantly, my muscles stiffened and my joints locked. A small girl, probably no more than 5 and a half feet, gently wrote down peoples orders. She had short black hair, and these amazing gray eyes. I had blue eyes, but they were a vibrant blue, not silver like those.

"Woah." I said, turning back. Pyrrha nodded, crossing her arms in approval.

"Told you." She said, glancing at her coffee. "She's coming this way!" I straightened my back, staring straight ahead. Pyrrha took one glance at me and sighed, taking her coffee into her hand and standing up.

"Where are you going?"

"Just roll with it. She'll get the wrong idea if she sees us together."

"We haven't even talked yet! How do I even know if she's into me? You know I'm bad at reading girls!"

"Sorry, but I'm not sorry. Just be yourself." Pyrrha said with a shrug, walking out the door. The waitress glanced over, noticing me. She bounced over, smiling as she held out her pen and paper.

"Hello! My name is Ruby and I'll be your waitress! May I take your order?"

"Uh...can I just have a muffin?" I asked.

"Mmhmm!" She said, scribbling it down and running off.

_I bought time... retreat!_

I rose, grabbing my coffee and glancing around. Noticing the books, I slid out from the table, nearly knocking over a chair, and casually sped walk over to the book section. Nobody would come to the book section! I would have the time to retreat and think. Why did Pyrrha abandon me? I was tempted to text her, but I knew she wouldn't respond. With a sigh, I glancing into the pile of books.

I could fake confidence like I usually did, but that hasn't turned out so well. She seemed bubbly, but what went with bubbly? Smooth? No, that's not right. God, if only Pyrrha was here.

_"Sorry, but I'm not sorry. Be yourself."_

I sighed. That usually turned out worse. Its not like I have much going for me. I faked my SAT scores so I could get into Beacon, but it was the only way.

At least I was a natural blonde.

I chuckled, grabbing out a comic from the desk. Pulling it open, I noticed it was a comic about the 'little red riding hood'. The twist was that she apparently was a badass fighter, and attacked these large black wolves.

"The original fairy tale was better."

"Eep!" I yelped in surprise, nearly dropping the comic. She flinched in surprise to my reaction, my face growing red.

"Uh...sorry. Didn't mean to sneak up on you." She said, taking a bite out of a muffin.

"Isn't that mine? Why are you eating it?" I asked. She glanced at the muffin, then back at me, turning red.

"I-I thought it would be c-c-cute." Said Ruby, her voice thick with embarrassment.

_Cute? Okay, even I'm not that dense. Is she hitting on me?_

"Isn't the original fairy tale for kids, though?" I asked, holding up the magazine. The girl smiled, pulling it out of my hands.

"Not the original one. I think Red ends up getting eaten or something like that. All the original fairy tales are brutal."

"Really?"

"At least in the volume I read." She said with a shrug. "I may have been trying to act elitist to look cool." She said, crossing her arms and nodding her head.

"Well, effect achieved. The name's Jaune, Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Lady's love it."

"Really?" She said, tilting her head.

"That may be a lie. I am a natural blonde, though." I said, standing up straight.

"That would explain the blonde hair." She said, leaning in. "Yep, looks natural to me."

"How would you know?"

"I don't," She said with a shrug and a slight blush. "But I mean, I don't think its hard to tell if someone dyed their hair."

"I suppose." I said, nodding.

"Well, I'm Ruby Rose, and...u-uh...I like machinery? That sounds totally nerdy..." She said, gripping her head. I chuckled, glad to see she was as nervous as I was.

"I think that's awesome. What do you do?"

"Oh, I just take apart clocks and stuff and put them back together, nothing too fancy."

"That's impressive, I know I couldn't do that." I said with a shrug. "Mostly because I seem to have the Death Touch with every electronic but my phone."

"Oh, you can't be that bad..." She said, writing off the notion.

"You'd be surprised. I once broke my sister's clock just by staring at it. The cat may have helped out, but it did break." I said, pointing my finger. She giggled, sticking her hands in her pocket and looking down.

"So that girl that was with you..."

_!_

My inner alarm went off. Pyrrha had trained me for this moment. She said that this, in its true form, was a green light.

"She's just a friend."

Her eyes lit up, meeting mine.

"I get off work in a minute. Want to go walk around or something after I change?"

"Sounds good." I said, my words slightly off. The impact of her sentence nearly knocked the wind out of me. Was this...a date? This was a date. Oh god, okay. What do I do now? Pyrrha never actually thought I'd get this far!

She walked off behind the counter, vanishing for a few minutes. I took the time to pull out my phone, leaning against the bookcase.

_-Uh.. I think I actually got it._

_-Rly? Congrats!_

_-Wat now?_

_-Just roll with it._

_-Pyrrha!_

_\- ^ . ^_

I sighed, putting my phone to sleep mode and placing it back in my pocket. Looking upwards, the feeling of having the wind knocked out of me returned. Ruby smiled as she walked down the stairs, no longer wearing her vest and tie uniform. She just wore a hoodie, red, but it was something about the way she wore it. The casual way she walked, and the authenticity of her smile.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked, giving a smile.

"Y-Yeah." I said, walking forward.

We left the shop, walking through the snow. The lights of the city buzzed as night time approached, the fog still blocking out the chance of seeing any stars.

_There goes my romantic constellation bit._

"So whats it like? Working in a coffee shop, that is. It seems nice." I said, glancing down at her. "All the coffee you could drink."

"Its...interesting. An odder experience than you'd think."

"Really? Like how?"

"W-Well, uh... actually, its pretty average I guess." She said with a shrug, shivering slightly.

"Where should we go?" I asked, glancing forward. "I think we're just walking around randomly."

"Yeah..." She said with a giggle. "Ooh, how about_ Going Coco_? Its this awesome chocolate place I know."

"Chocolate? You got quite the sweet tooth, don't you?" I said with a slight laugh. She blushed, glancing away with a smile. "Aw, its okay. I have seven sisters, I needed a sweet tooth to survive."

"You have_ seven_ sisters?" She said with surprise. "I only have one and I think I'm going mad because of her."

"Tell me about it. I was the middle child too, so I had the older ones to boss me around and the younger ones to pull my hair." I said, thinking about old times. "I guess I miss them, though. The silence of my apartment is a little unsettling."

"That's cute." Ruby said, smiling slightly. Her smile faded as her gray eyes glanced off blankly into space. I furrowed my brow, looking back at her.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-No, nothing." She said, flinching slightly. "Just a small ache or something." A sigh escaped her as she stood up. "Sorry about that, just a little hungry."

"Do you want to go to an actual restaurant?"

"Its fine, they serve hotdogs at the chocolate place." She said. "You can even get a chocolate hotdog."

"That sounds amazing."

"It really isn't." She said, laughing. Snowflakes rested in her black hair, giving her a crown of snow, almost. I turned down the street, pointing down the street to the train tracks.

"I know a shortcut over this way, if you want to get out of this cold faster."

"Yes please!" She said with a smile, following me in behind.

"I used to work around the chocolate place you described, I think. Earlier in the semester, that is."

"What happened?"

"I told you I was bad with machines, right? Well, I was working a cash register for Mr. Ronalds and I broke it. Like, bad."

"How does that even happen?" She chuckled. "What did you do?"

"I guess my cookie got stuck in the gears or something." I said, balancing on the train tracks.

"Oh! I love cookies!" She said with a smile. As if the thought of food pained her, she stopped. Her face contorted, her hands wrapping around her stomach.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" I asked, running over to her.

"Get out of here!" She said, throwing her hand back. Tears rolled down her face.

"What happened? What's wrong?" I said, reaching into my pocket.

And then she stopped. Ruby stood as if nothing happened. She looked down, walking over to me and wrapping her arms around me. I flinched at the hug, looking down at her.

"W-What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" She said, her voice flat, tears dripping off her face. I hesitantly placed my arms around her, calming her sobs. She leaned her face in, placing her lips right by my ear. The cute girl in the coffee shop was gone.

_"I'm sorry."_

Pain.

I watched, my arms around her, against the white snow, as crimson rain floated through the air. Glancing down, I noticed Ruby biting into my shoulder. Her eyes had gone from that beautiful gray to a blood red, the white of her eyes a midnight black. Veins of black blood pumped from her eyes as she bit into my shoulder, blood spraying out of the wound.

The sky instantly greyed as the fog of winter surrounded us, the world losing its color. My knees buckles, but she caught me in her hands, tearing further into my neck.

_I was dying._

In the distance, just on the horizon, through the fog, I saw a light. The light of death. I watched as the light grew ever so slightly brighter. Then came the horns. The heavenly horns, the horns of angels, rang out throughout the dying sky as she bit into me. My screams as she tore the tendon out of my neck met the invisible angels in the air, each playing their horn.

Yet the light grew brighter, and I realized it wasn't Death, at least not yet. It was a train. That was no heavenly angels hiding in the fog and light, but the horn alerting us.

I weakly pushed her back.

"We...need...to get...out." I sputtered weakly. She sobbed, biting into my arm.

"Train." I said, weakly grabbing her. She growled, pushing me over. As a last effort, I grabbed her hood, bringing her down with me. I winced as I laid across the railroad tracks, my waist against the metal line. Glancing up weakly, I stared up into the black, teary eyes of Ruby.

As the train split us both in two.


	2. Regret:Hunger

I blinked.

I blinked, light hitting my retinas. It was skewed. Red. Black. Only out of one eye. My other glanced into the bright and powerful fluorescent light, blinking. As soon as I blinked, the black and red in my left eye was gone.

_...Beep... Beep... Beep._

A heartrate monitor. I understood what it meant instantly. Groaning, I weakly turned my head to the left, seeing a shadowy figure beside me. Its form congealed, taking the shape of an older man, his hair slightly grey. Even so, he still had some of the handsomeness of his youth.

"Are you feeling well now?" He asked, looking down at his clipboard. "Mr. Arc."

"Huhhh..." I wheezed, glancing down. An oxygen mask was placed on my face, the clear plastic fogging rhythmically to my breath. "Huhhhwo are you?"

"Akihiro Kanou, but I'd prefer if you just refer to me as Professor Kanou. In your state, I'll be okay with just Kanou."

"That sounds..."

"Foreign? Yes, it is. I moved here when I was young with my parents. Anyways, how are you feeling?" He asked, leaning in.

"...Alive." I sighed, closing my eyes.

"That would make sense." He said, tapping the beeping heart monitor. "You were in bad shape though."

"I was cut in half." I groaned, sitting up slightly and looking at my feet. "Are they paralyzed?"

"No, you'll find they should have full usage of them." He said, shrugging.

"I'm studying biology, I... want to become a surgeon. Attaching an entire lower half would at bare minimum result in paralyzes... due to the... cut spine." I wheezed through the plastic. "I dont think its... even been done before."

"Don't worry, Jaune, I'm the doctor here. What's more, I'm a very good doctor. I hope you have good insurance."

I swallowed.

He chuckled in response. "Don't worry, the government has programs for people like you, undoubtedly. Here, you should eat." The man gave a gentle smile, taking a tray of food and placing it on my lap. On it where chips, a cheese sandwich, and a cup of water. The cup of water had a small packet of Kool-aid flavoring next to it.

"Snuck that part in, since I knew you would be hurting." He said with a smile.

"What happened?" I said, struggling to open the packet in my state. He chuckled, taking it and tearing it open. Motioning for the bottle, I took it in my shaking hands and gave it to him, picking up the sandwich.

"Well, you were cut in half. You had a damaged liver, but luckily there was someone who had just died." He said, making an odd facial expression. "They had just the organ you needed."

I remembered Ruby.

"The girl with me, is she okay? Is she who your talking about?"

"Ruby Rose, if I remember correctly, is fine. She should also make a full recovery. She wasn't as damaged though, so we actually didn't need to do much work on her."

"She was on top of me, she should be more hurt than I was." I said, raising the sandwich. He shrugged, pouring it in the bottle. I wished he had gotten a clear bottle, I always loved seeing the sugar crystals flood in the water.

"I don't know how train rails work, that's someone else's field."

"Can I take off this mask?" I said, pointing. "I can't eat with it on." With a laugh, he nodded. I raised the food and placed it in my mouth, wincing.

The bread tasted stale, almost rotten. And the cheese, it was certainly spoiled.

"How is it?"

"Uh..." I said, swallowing and trying to keep a straight face. "Its good."

"I know the food's bad here." He said with a chuckle, handing me the red waterbottle. I took a chip in hand, biting into it.

_Ugh...nasty. It tastes like burned bread._

I sighed, opening my drink. It... was actually decent. I don't think it was kool-aid, though. It tasted different. I smiled with relief.

"That's better." I said with a sigh.

"You look like you just ate someone." He chuckled, noting the kool-aid dripping from my chin.

"Anyway, you are free to go. Your phone was going crazy, just to let you know."

"Oh crap." I said, glancing around. "Pyrrha's going to be so pissed." He smiled.

"What a guy you are." He chuckled. "Getting cut in half and the first thing you think about regarding the outside world is the emotional state of your girlfriend."

"She's...not my girlfriend." I said with a blush, texting her. Instantly, several responses flooded my phone.

_-WAT?!_

_-U GOT RUN OVER?!_

_-BY A TRAIN?!_

_-R U OKAY?!_

I smiled, texting her that I would make a full recovery.

"Hey... uh... doc."

"Yes?"

"Are there... any scars?"

"No."

"And uh... how are the... jewels? They still okay?" I said, not meeting eye contact. He chuckled, placing his hand on my shoulder and standing.

"Its not the size that matters, but how you use it."

I went red.

* * *

"Oh my god Jaune, you're okay!" Pyrrha shouted, running through the lobby of the hospital and wrapping her arms around me. I laughed painfully, wrapping my arms around her. With her arms wrapped around me, she squeezed the air out of me. Instead, I switched to breathing through my nose. A new scent, a nice one, filled my nose.

"Pyrrha, that hurts."

"Sorry!" She said, rubbing her face slightly. "I was just so worried."

"This might be odd, but are you using a new perfume?"

"What?" She asked, tilting her head. Her red ponytail waved slightly, her green eyes focusing. "No, why? Do I smell?"

"No, its nothing like that. Forget it." I said, rubbing my chin.

"Okay, well, let me take you out for dinner or something. I feel bad for abandoning you." she said, grabbing my shoulder.

"Actually, I sort of want to take it easy, if you don't mind." I said with a sigh. "Still recovering."

"Oh! Uh... of course. Sorry, that was inconsiderate."

"No it wasn't." I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "You worry over nothing."

She turned away, flustered. Turning to the nurse at the desk, I leaned in.

"Am I free to go?"

"Yes, of course." She said, taking a peek at my file.

"Is it possible that I can check up on a girl named Ruby Rose?" I asked. the nurse nodded, typing into her computer. With a shrug, she turned to me.

"Seems like she already checked out, sorry kiddo."

"No problem, thank you." I said, walking outside.

"Do you want a ride home?" Pyrrha asked, pointing to her car. I thought for a moment, shaking my head.

"I'll use this as a rehabilitation moment, get some fresh air." I said. She gave me a sour look, getting into her car and turning it on. With a wave, she pulled out and onto the street, leaving me behind. I sighed, glancing around me. People of Vale walked around, continuing their everyday lives. It felt odd, knowing that a victim of a train accident was walking among them, and they didn't even know.

What else could be hiding?

_"I'm sorry"_

That girl was a ghoul, there was no doubt about that. I'm still stuck on the 'I'm sorry' part though. Why would she be sorry? Aren't ghouls mindless monsters that feed off us? That's what the CCG is for. The Commissions of Counter Ghoul, an agency of trained men and women that take down ghouls.

_Grgrgrgr..._

I chuckled as I glanced down at my stomach, which growled. No food had actually been eaten at the hospital, it was all disgusting. Unfortunately, even their drinks seemed gross. It really was impressive, how bad their food was. I didn't believe the 'hospital food' joke, but now I did.

Taking a sniff, I noticed something. A scent, something that smelled drop dead amazing, lingering on the air. It had to be a meat, maybe barbeque? No, that wasn't it. Maybe a hotdog stand?

I stopped in the middle of the road, glancing over the heads of the people as they passed by. I didn't notice any stands, and all the buildings seemed to be residential. Nevertheless, the scent filled my nose, my stomach growling. Drool started leaking ever so slightly from the corner of my lip.

Someone pushed against me

"Sorry, excuse me."

That...scent.

That person reeked of it.

I wiped my mouth, shaking my head. Turning around, I continued forward, placing my hand in my pockets.

_Grgrgrgr..._

My stomach growled this time, more aggressively. I winced, the growl paining me.

"Hungry..." I said, grabbing my pounding head. "So...hungry..."

_How long was I in that hospital? How long has it been since I ate?_

I was starving. So...So hungry...why?

It...hurt. It was hard to think.

I stumbled around the corner, crashing into the alleyway. People passed by, their scents filling the alley. It was so good, that scent. So... edible. It was delicious. I... I could almost taste it. I needed more. There was nothing else. Nothing else mattered, I needed to eat.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get!" An old man said, wearing a trashy coat. He was obviously homeless, a hole in his hat. I instantly looked up.

Through the garbage, through the muck, that scent was there.

_Why was it there?_

_Why am I so hungry?!_

"Get...away from me..." I said, standing up and glancing at him. Yes, his neck. It looked... so tasty. I could already imagine the perfectly tender section, and how the muscle next to it would connect. It would be...so good.

I shook my head, screaming.

The old man took a step back, falling over a stray can.

My...eye...it HURT.

My stomach...it GROWLED...

My mind...it's EMPTY?!

I can't think? Why? My? Eye? Why is it red? Why is my vision red? Why only in my left eye? Why does he look so good? Why? Why? Why?

**=====I want to eat him===================================================**

Yes, yes that was it. All this scent? It was him. He was so tasty. I would eat him.

What? No! Eating is wrong! He's a person

**========================IT_ HURTS_! Eat, or it will hurt more! EAT!==============**

I can't take it! Make it stop!

**===========It will stop if you eat him.=======================================**

I.. I will...

I stumbled forward, landing on the old man, my eyes meeting his.

"I will eat you."

"W-what? No! Get off of me! Someone, help! Call the CCG!"

Carefully, I grabbed his arm, and slide down the arm of his jacket. Oh...yes... I can see the tendons twitching in fear, I can see each muscle flexing.

**=======================================_Eat him.._.======================**

My jaw opened, my teeth gently pressing against his flesh. He screamed in pain, several people crying out as they pointed at us from the inside of the alley. I could not care less. This pain, it was unbearable! I! had! To! Stop! IT!

My teeth bit into his flesh.

Blood sprayed instantly, flooding into my tastebuds. Yes.. it was so good... just like that drink the professor gave me. I tore it away from his forearm, his tendons snapping against my teeth. He screamed as I happily pressed the meat into my mouth, swallowing. Blood flowed from my mouth, a smile on my lips.

Instantly, the hunger stopped. I looked down at the old man, who screamed in fear.

And then at the blood on my shirt.

My tongue pressed against the meat still stuck in my teeth. I fell back, my eyes flying open in shock. The redness in my eyes glowed brighter. I ate him? I took a bite? No...

My fingers pressed against the blood flowing from my mouth, my head turning to the screaming crowd. I rose, gripping my stomach.

"Get away from me!" The old man cried, gripping his wound. "Monster!"

"Monster...?" I said blankly, pressing against the wall. "I'm not a monster..."

"Get away!" He shouted. I winced, breaking into full sprint into the alleyway. I nearly slipped in the puddle of blood, spitting blood from my lips. Turning the corner, I sprinted to a trashcan.

_I actually ate someone?! What's going on? Why did that happen? What came over me?!_

I leaned against the trashcan, jamming two fingers down my throat. I instantly sputtered, bile filling my mouth as red and gray matter spilled from my mouth. I vomited into the trashcan, my stomach heaving. Collapsing against the trashcan, I hesitantly looked in.

And there was a chunk of red.

I grabbed my mouth, thinking I was going to be sick. The tendons floating in the acid should have done it for me, but I had nothing left to throw up. Shakingly, I wiped my mouth against my sleeve. Blankly, I glanced around the alleyway. A bag of forgotten groceries rested against a pipe. Slowly, I walked over, leaning and glancing in.

Doritos, some beef jerky, and an apple.

I tore into the bag of chips, clenching my eyes shut. Placing the chip into my mouth, I spat it out. It was rancid, tasting like mold. My eyes opened wider as I took out the apple, biting into it. bile rose to my throat as I spit it out into my hand.

It tasted like I was biting into a ball of worms, all still squirming. In a last ditch but defeated effort, I grabbed beef jerky, tearing it open and shoveling meat into my mouth. I coughed as I placed both of my hands of the ground, the chewed meat falling onto the pavement.

It was horrible, tasting like a pig's gallbladder.

I swallowed hard, bring my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I was a monster. Tears welled up in my eyes, a slight sob escaping me. This couldn't be real... I had become a ghoul? I couldn't eat any normal food? Only...human meat?

"And what do you think you are doing, in my territory?" A voice said, glancing up. A man with black hair and purple eyes glanced down at me, his gaze emotionless. A small purple strand fell into his eye, his hands resting in his green jacket.

"W..What?" I said, looking up. The red of my left vision messed with my right, skewing his face slightly. "You should get a way, I'm not safe."

"Not safe?" He chuckled, his eyes turning black. "I don't think you know who you are talking to."

"I-! don't." I said weakly, glancing down into my lap. He growled, making a scream as something tore out of his back. A large tail of red muscle mass and bone grew out of his back, a sharpened tip aiming for me. I screamed in surprise, clenching the pipe and cowering against the wall. After a few seconds, he started laughing.

"Well, its Mercury." He said, holding out his hand. "I should kill you, typically we Shifts kill anyone that walks into our territory, but you don't seem to mean harm. What's your name?"

"Jaune...Jaune Arc." I said, pressing harder against the wall.

"What's up with your eye? Why is only one working? Where you the guy responsible for chewing on that one old guy back there?" He said, taking a step closer. I stiffened, looking away. The smell of rotting meat hung on his breath, his red eyes scanning me.

"Yes, I...I attacked him." I said, looking at the monster. This thing ate humans. I needed to get away, to get back to Pyrrha. She always gave advice, she could help me now.

"Why the hell did you do that? In the middle of a day, not even that deep into an alley?"

"I...was hungry." I said, glancing at the spine tail. "What is that?" Mercury glanced at his tail, and then at me, tilting his head in confusion.

"Its a kagune, what else could it be?"

"A...Kagune?" I asked. He furrowed his brow, bringing the claw closer to me. I flinched, clenching my eyes shut as he gently placed his hand on it, shrugging.

"I guess you haven't used yours yet. This is the organ that a ghoul has that lets them hunt humans. My friend almost described it as a 'semblance' once, saying that each kagune is unique. Even so, they usually fall under 4 types. Ukakus are these 'wings' of muscle, which can harden. Typically ghouls with it are really fast, and can shoot little projectiles." He said, making an air rifle and making a 'pew' sound effect. "Those with Ukakus are really fast, but tire quickly."

"Theres also a Koukaku, which is a muscle mass that comes out of the shoulder and wraps around the arm, making a sword. Its usually pretty heavy, so the users are slow. Theres also those with a Rinkaku. These guys are nasty, for most ghouls. They have tentacles of muscle, and can hit really hard in hand to hand. They also regenerate like a boss." He said, making a joke. It didn't lighten the mood. At least, not with his bone blade pressing against my throat.

"Finally, theres what I got, a Bikaku. Its basically just a tail, nothing fancy. Those who have them aren't weak in any aspect, and aren't strong." He paused. "I can't believe I remembered them all."

"What?" I said, bracing for him to slice me up. "I don't understand... I was a human yesterday." He blinked twice before exploding into laughter.

"You...? A human? Oh, that's rich. I think you are going just a_ little bit_ insane, there."

"I'm not crazy! I never ate humans before this! I could eat hamburgers and hotdogs and...and."

"Listen kid, I bet you think you're a riot, but its not that funny." He said, sighing. "Just get out of my territory before I decide I want to slice you up. This is the gang called Shift's territory, okay? Beat it."

I stood up, stumbling towards the area when I came. Suddenly, a police siren buzzed in the sky, Mercury's face hardening.

"Shit, thats probably the Doves."

"The who?"

"The Doves, the Ghoul investigators, the CCG, the police force for hunting our asses, let's move." He said, grabbing my bloody shirt and pulling me forward.

"W-What are you doing?!" I shouted. His claw flexed, resting its blade against my chin.

"Unless you want to be cut into bits, you're coming with me!" He shouted, pulling me to the right as we pressed deeper into the city. He ran to a door, pounding on the entrance.

"Cinder, its me! We got Doves, open the _fuck_ up." He shouted. The door clicked and slid open, Mercury throwing me down the stairs. I stumbled forward, noticing the black haired woman who opened the door before falling down the stairs. Blood sprayed from my nose as my head slammed into the bottom step, pain filling my head. I yelped in pain as Mercury stepped on my back, turning around. He reached into his bag, pulling out an AK-47 and loading it up.

"Are you sure it was the Doves?" Cinder said angrily. "That gun won't do anything against them."

"It will if I get a good shot, and it definitely will if its just the police force." He said, glancing at me. "Hey, you, get out your kagune!"

"I-I can't!" I said, gripping my bloody nose. The blood stopped dripping from it, my hand pulling away to reveal a perfectly healed nose.

_I regenerated?_

"I told you, this isn't the time for shits and giggles!" He cursed, grabbing a pistol and chucking it my way. I winced as it hit the floor, hesitantly picking it up. "That's a standard glock. Won't do much, but its better than nothing."

A pounding escaped the door, chilling us to the bone. Mercury glanced at Cinder, motioning her forward with two fingers. He reached into a pocket, grabbing a long rod and attaching it to the barrel. He grabbed a smaller barrel, handing it to me. It was a silencer, which would quiet a gunshot. After placing a finger to his lips, he ran up the stairs and stood by the door.

"Who's in there?" The voice shouted, another pounding echoing through the bunker. Cinder glanced at Mercury, each standing against the wall. Cinder hesitantly opened the door.

"Is there a problem, sir?"

"Did someone suspicious run through here?" He asked.

"No, nobody ran through her,_ officer._" She said, stressing that it was a policeman. Mercury nodded, hidden by the door from the uniformed man.

"With all due respect, I'm going to need to search this place."

"You need a warrant to do that." She said firmly. The officer pushed her out of the way, barging in. Instantly, Mercury kicked the door closed and sent out his kagune. He pulled the trigger, sending bullets screeching through the air. They pounded into his chest, his tail whipping around and cutting off the mans head. The corpse fell to its knees, squirting up blood and tumbling down the steps to my feet.

A yelp escaped me as I slipped backwards, glancing at the headless figure.

"Cinder, you go and act as guard. I want to on the roof. Text me if you see anything suspicious."

"W-What about the body?!" I shouted in fear.

"Jaune, was it? Just go ahead and eat it, I guess. Save some for me."

"Eat it? Why would I eat it? I'm human! Humans don't eat other humans!" I shouted. He grimaced, throwing down his gun and walking down the steps, his tail carving into the wall. With a grunt, he grabbed me by the throat and hoisted me up, looking me in the eyes. His retinas glowed red against the black, his teeth gritting together.

"I have had enough with your little act. Do you want to die?"

"N-No! I don't!" I shouted, grabbing onto his hand.

"Then shut up and eat! Hunger is maddening for a ghoul, why are you pressing so hard?"

"Because its wrong!" I shouted, my stomach rumbling. I had spat up all that I had eaten from the old man, that feeling would be returning soon.

"Just eat, are you going to let it go to waste? We need to dispose of the body anyways, so let's just eat it." He said, sticking his hand in and tearing a section off of his inner arm. He held it up, blood dripping from it.

"Eat." He said.

"No!"

"Eat." Said Mercury, flexing his tail and aiming the spike at me. I felt dizzy again as the fresh scent drifted through my nose. Shaking my head, I pinched it closed, clenching my eyes shut.

**==========Why not?===================================================**

**==========================_let's devour_=============It was so tasty==========**

**=====we should=======_=I'm hungry_===========let's eat=======================**

I glanced down at his hand, clenching my eyes shut and taking it into my hand. With more regret than I could comprehend, I placed the meat within my mouth and chewed slowly. The juicy fluid and slightly salty taste filled my mouth, causing my eyes to shoot open.

It...was delicious.

Slowly crawling to the body, I glanced down at the corpse. Tears welled up in my eyes as I lowered my face to the corpse

and started eating


	3. Mask:Display

I glanced at the swinging light bulb hanging from the ceiling blankly, blood slowly dripping from my chin.

_Pyrrha-Where r u?_

_Me-Does it matter?_

_Pyrrha-Yeah, duh._

My fingers pressed against the flesh stick stuck in my teeth, which had now lost all of its warmth. Weakly, I closed my eyes, my throat catching. There were no more tears to give.

_Pyrrha-I didn't see U get in ur room._

_Me-So?_

_Pyrrha-I just stopped by your room on the way to mine. U aren't there._

_Me-So?_

I sighed, thinking of our apartment complex. Pyrrha and I used to live on the same floor. Used to. Now, I lived in this...ward. This... gang. Wiping my hand on my sleeves, I rose, glancing around the room. I stepped up the stairs opposite the entrance, entering the empty warehouse. Sunlight gently peeked in through the broken glass, reflecting off of the slightly rusted pipes. Cinder glanced down at her feet from her perch on top of the stone rubble, throwing something at me. The fabric flew threw the air slow, landing in my hands.

"Get changed. You don't look decent."

Without thinking, I closed the door behind me and changed into the clothes she gave me. Simple jeans and a black hoodie, whose inside was a fluffy red. Just like mine, but it wasn't. I had written my name on my tag. The door groaned as I entered again, staring at her blankly and brushing back my blonde hair.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"What happens now?" I asked, rubbing my chin.

"Now," Came a voice to my right. Mercury stood shirtless, dripping wet and drying his body off with a towel. "You have two options. You can leave or join."

"Join?"

"We're a gang, I told you that. Currently we're pretty small, and don't have much territory. Pretty much only a block in each direction. We Shifts are like family though."

"Who else is there?"

"Just three more, and they're out hunting right now."

"...Hunting?" I asked, glancing away in disgust.

"What do you choose? Tell me now, because if you join, I need to call a friend." He said, pulling out his phone. I glanced down at mine, pulling up Pyrrha's contact. Being with her would only hurt her, and I couldn't attend Beacon like this. The pure amount of people would drive me mad.

_Me-I'm leaving forever. Goodbye._

_Pyrrha-What?_

_-What's wrong?_

_-Jaune?!_

_-Jaune?!_

I closed my phone and glanced at him, nodding weakly. He nodded, pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

"Cinder, we're leaving. Its about to be dusk, we're going meeting Uta." He said, talking to her as his phone rang. Cinder groaned as he turned away, a smile growing to his face. "Hey, Uta, I got a commission for you. Yeah...Yeah...Yeah, new guy. No, don't know his Kagune yet. No, he doesn't know either. Hmm, can you make it for him or not? Alright, we'll be there in an hour." He said, hanging up and turning to me.

"Who's Uta?"

"A friend. Since you are joining us, you are going to need a mask to hide your identity."

"A mask?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yeah, a mask." He said, reaching into his coat and pulling one out. His was a gas mask, pure and simple. Cinder glanced back at me, pulling out hers. It was a simple mask, its eyeholes surrounded by fire.

"Ours are boring, but most of what Uta makes it really badass, so don't worry." He said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "The more traits he knows about you, the better. Thats why he wanted to know your Kagune type. Its no big deal though, lets roll out." He said, placing on a hat. "Put on your hood."

...

We reached the shop, the sky a pitch black. A slight chime played as we entered the shop. What seemed like thousands of masks hung from the wall, a man sitting in the chair behind the counter. His appearance was odd to say the least, half of his head shaved. His eyes were turned on ghoul mode, and he made no signs of turning them off. Tattoos coiled around his arms as he waved them, giving a smile and a far off look.

"Hello, Mercury. Is this the boy?" He said in a monotone.

"Yeah, he's the one eye."

"One eye? Oh, you didn't tell me that over the phone. I already started prepping the mask." He whined. "Oh well, come here." He said, pointing at me. "What's your name?"

"Jaune Arc."

"Arc, huh? Let's play a game. I'm going to ask you some questions and learn a bit about you, okay? Just take a seat right there." He said, pointing at the leather chair. I nodded, sitting down.

"How tall are you?"

"Like 6'1, maybe a little shorter." I said, his fingers running through my blonde hair. The odd man glanced at my blue eyes further, squinting slightly.

"How would you describe yourself?"

"Uh..." I said, trying to remember what I'd do. "Oh, the best, of course! I once took down an entire gang with my fists!"

"Its all seriousness here. You can take your face and your fake confidence outside."

"Then...caring, I guess. Kind, maybe funny, if you like bad jokes."

"And how would others describe you?"

"Thick, definitely thick. Innocent, even. Dumb, stupid, by others."

"What is your biggest regret?" He asked, holding a tape measure to my chin. I flinched at the question, my stare unfocusing.

"Eating...Abandoning my friends."

"You seem to be a real white knight." He chuckled, measuring my face. "All you seem to care about is doing the right thing."

"And girls." I said with a shrug. "I guess that's really me."

"I don't think so, I think you are a much more complex person. Yes, complex. That's a good trait for mask making. Such fun." He said with a smile. "Its a good thing I started the prep already, my original idea was a good one. That should be enough data, I'll be done within the hour. I have snacks over there." He said, pointing.

The hour was slow and full of self doubt. The reality of becoming a ghoul was almost too hard to believe, but upon analyzing, it made more sense. The doctor, Professor Kanou, performed a surgery on my to save my life. That Ruby girl, he must have taken her liver or whatever organ he planted in me, and that must have started a transformation.

"I have finished." He said, holding up a bag. "You are a white knight. You hate to eat, and you are far more complex than you are made out to be. I put all those traits in this." He said, pulling out the mask. It was made for the lower portion, and was completely white besides wavy markings of crimson, resembling blood. There were two mandibles that covered crimson red teeth, and the chin was pointed. "It even opens up." He said, pulling down at the chin. The teeth separated, the mandibles flying open. Underneath the mandibles were several springs, binding the mouth closed. "Its going to be hard to do anything with your mouth but talk with this this, so don't worry about eating anything."

I smiled as he placed the mask in my hands.

"It looks amazing."

"Uta, you really got to make me one that cool." Mercury complained. Uta shrugged, holding out his hand. With a sign, Mercury took out several 'Lien' bills and paid for the mask. Meanwhile, I tried it on. Placing it against my skin, I pulled the crimson red leather straps and tried moving my head. Small movements of the mouth like talking where easy, but things like opening up as if to bite into something weren't. You could still do it, and looking in the mirror it looked cool. The mandibles would flip open and the jaws would separate, giving some demonic atmosphere.

"Let's go." Mercury said, tugging at my jacket.

"W-Woah, hold up. Where?"

"To watch over our territory, let's go!" He said, glancing back. We walked back, my phone vibrating with texts from Pyrrha. It took a lot of willpower, but I managed to shut off my phone. I wouldn't go near her again. I couldn't. Doing so could put her in danger.

We walked back to the warehouse, using the access ladder to climb to the top of the concrete building. The view was expansive, allowing the entire city to be seen. Not literally, of course, but thats the scale that it seemed to be at. With a sigh, I hung my feet off the railing and viewed the landscape. Mercury sat on a pipe above me, resting on his shins.

"So this is the vale you ghouls see? Up here, above everyone else?" I said, glancing at the city. My eyes fell to my mask, my fingers gently pressing against the cold white resin.

"Yeah." He said, his gray hair blowing in the wind. "It sucks, doesn't it?"

"Maybe." I said with a shrug, turning back. "I could stand it...if it didn't involve eating people." The words made me feel sick, causing my to grab my throat instinctively.

"You'll get used to it." He sighed. "Humans are bastards anyways."

I left it at that. Brushing back my blonde hair, I glanced down at the town. I'm not sure I could ever get used to eating people. Maybe, though, I could find a way to get by. Eat only when I had to, or even find an alternative. Humans could live off IVs, right? At least, for a while. Hell, I'm studying biology. I'm my own test subject, maybe I can get something to work.

Yeah, there wasn't a reason to freak out. Just...Take things as they were.

I thought of Pyrrha, my stomach lurching. For a moment, just a brief moment, I didn't think of her as a friend, but rather, as an object to be eaten. Shaking my head, I glanced at Mercury. He stood, letting out a loud sigh and stretching his arm over his shoulder.

"Seems like Roman, Neo, and Emerald are back. We should go." He said, glancing down the hole. He motioned me over, pointing down. I glanced my head in, his boot meeting my butt and kicking me in. A childish scream escaped me as I fell, landing hard in the rubble.

"F..Fuck..."

A curse, something I didn't normally do, escaped my mouth. Rolling to the side, I pushed myself upwards, glancing around me. My eyes met a well dressed redheaded man, who straightened his tie against his white suit. Next to him was a girl, or at least, thats what she seemed to be. She was puny, below five feet, but likely older than me. Half of her hair was a nice chocolaty brown, but the other half was a creamy pink.

"This is the new guy?" Questioned another girl. Her skin was black, her hair a mint color. She wore a sports bra, her crimson eyes settled on me.

"Yes, Emerald." Cinder said distastefully. "This is Jaune Arc."

"There goes my chance to be the only guy in the group." The redheaded man said with a sigh.

"Hey!" Mercury shouted. "What's that supposed to mean, Roman?"

"Oh...nothing." He chuckled, placing his arm around the small girl. "Neo, dear, I thought we agreed he should be dead by now. He annoys me."

"We discussed this! I can hear you!" Mercury said annoyed. Roman chuckled, walking over to a pillar and grabbing two large bags. He dragged them over, chucking them before us.

"I think you'll be impressed with tonight's meal. I got a real plump one. He was a pain in the ass to hoist all the way over here, but I managed." He said, kicking into the bloodied bag. I covered my mouth in disgust, looking away.

"Who were they?" I asked weakly.

"What?" Roman asked, tilting his head. "Why do you care."

"He's...got a soft spot for humans." Mercury explained, shrugging. "I don't get it."

"Well, whatever." Roman sighed, glancing at the silent Neo. "They were just two guys on the street. Chubby here was complaining about his life. How much the world hated him, how he'd probably die alone. Does that make you feel better, Blondie?"

"No." I said truthfully, glancing at the corpses. Under the rags, the fearful face of the young man peered out. "They were so young."

"What, do you expect me to eat old meat?" Emerald said, tilting her head. "That's disgusting. I'm not picky, but that's pushing it, don't you think?"

"How often does a ghoul have to eat?" I asked, biting my lip.

"One month." Cinder said, crossing her arms. "Do you expect to last that long? I need you at your full strength. We need to capture territory, newbie."

"I'm waiting a month." I said, glancing up at her with a determined gaze. "And when I get hungry, I will find my own food."

"Whatever, let the kid be a picky eater." Emerald shrugged, bending down in front of the corpse. Her claws sunk into the left one's chest, beads of blood forming around her fingertips. I winced, turning away as the sound of tearing flesh assaulted my eardrums.

"Don't make me regret letting you stay." I heard Cinder say from the back. Rising, I left the warehouse with my hands in my pockets.

"I'll be back." I said, walking out.

...

My hands pressed tightly against the chains of the swing set, my gaze set on the floor. The swing set creaked and groaned as I swung back and forth gently, letting out a sigh. I glanced around the empty park, only lit by the light of the midnight moon.

I had to eat. It was a fact. Even so, I wouldn't kill anyone. I don't care if he was the worst man alive, that didn't merit death. I wasn't going to be the one deciding who lived and who died.

"Jaune? Oh my god, is that you?" A feminine voice filled with emotion tore through the air, my gaze snapping upwards. Pyrrha glanced up, a bag of groceries in her hand.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I got some groceries." She said, chuckling slightly.

"At this hour?" I said silently.

"I've never been one to remember things." She sighed, placing them down. "Where have you been? I called the cops!"

"That was stupid of you." I sighed, glancing up at the moon. She sighed, taking seat in the swing beside me.

"Where were you, and what was with that stupid cryptic text of yours?" She said, giving an angry pout and leaning in. I leaned away. Whether it was just a girl in my area or me not trusting myself around her, I didn't know.

"It wasn't cryptic, we can't see each other anymore."

"What? Why are you saying that?" She asked, confused. "Jaune, if you're in trouble or something, I know people" She said, holding up her fist. "It will be just like highschool, when I saved you from that bully, Cardin."

"Oh, please." I said, rolling my eyes. "I totally had that situation handled. If he messed with me one more time I would have given him the one-hit-kill Arc Kick! Its a technique that's been passed down the Arc family for generations!" I boasted, placing my hands on my hips. She chuckled, leaning back and swinging forward.

"What is it, Jaune. Really. I'm your...best friend. You can at least tell me what's up. I pinky promise not to tell anyone." She said, holding out her hand. I sighed, pressing it down.

"This isn't something like that, Pyrrha. I'm afraid it's nothing that can be fixed. You wouldn't even believe me if I told you."

"Jaune, you doubt what I'd believe." She said, crossing her arms. "I had to fight off a bear, once. Seriously, not even kidding. The people of the town nicknamed the bear 'the Ursa'. My grandpa has pictures to prove it."

"You really are starting to sound Canadian." I chuckled, swinging back and forth. She have a spiteful 'hmpf!', looking away.

"I'll...try to keep in touch." I said, frowning. "but I can't stay with you."

"Jaune!" She said angrily, standing. "I'm sorry for this!"

She held up her hand, slapping it across my face. I winced, glancing up at her.

"You are acting ridiculous. I don't care what the situation is, you can't just cut everyone off and run away."

"So you'll believe me, then?"

"Absolutely!" She said, greek fire burning green in her eyes.

"I've turned into a ghoul." I said, glancing down.

She blinked twice, tilting her head.

"What?"

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me." I said with a sigh, throwing back my head and closing my eyes.

"What are you talking about? How do you become a ghoul?" She asked, furrowing her brow. I spent the next few minutes attempting to explain it to her, but she only seemed to be driven further and further away.

"And so a liver transplant turns you into a ghoul?" She said, disgusted and horrified. Pyrrha rose, glancing at me."Have you gone insane, Jaune?"

"I wish I did." I sighed, closing my eyes. "Do I have to prove it to you?"

"Yes, yes you do." She said. "I'm not that stupid that you can fool me with your nonsense. Honestly, its too late in the night to be dealing with these jokes."

My closed eyes twitched as I attempted to turn it on.

**=====================You want me?=====================================**

I slowly opened my left eye, revealing its black and red contents. Pyrrha's eyes widened, her face growing distressed.

"W..What the hell?" She said, stumbling backwards. Her shoe caught on a metal beam used for balancing, causing ehr to trip backwards and fall

"W-What are you?" She stammered, returning her horrified gaze to me.

"A ghoul" I said, my voice catching. To see her so terrified, and for her to be so terrified of me...

"G-Get away from me! Monster!" She screamed, scrambling to her feet and sprinting away. I watched as she ran past her bags and ran away. Away from me, she sprinted off into the dark. the fingers of my right hand tightened against the chains of the swing, my head falling into my left. Tears fell against my wrist as I sobbed, wiping the water from my face. Tilting upwards,

I continued swinging.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Finals week! More or less, some of my stuff is spread out. I am several chapters ahead in writing this, so it shouldn't affect you guys too much. Just wanted to let you know. Get hyped for summer though, production should increase exponentially. **


	4. Scared:Asleep

I glanced upwards, rubbing my eyes. It had been a full twenty four hours since Pyrrha ran away from me. The sun was already setting, night time growing. I tried to set my sleep schedule opposite the sun. There was no real reason; ghouls didn't hate the sun. Even so, it felt... comforting. Comforting in a damning sort of way. I would live like the monster I was...

"Gear up, newbie." Emerald said, placing her mask on her face. It seemed to be a skull, but it was hard to say. The design was warped. "We got visitors. Ghouls just wandered through our territory."

"But what about the others?" I questioned, glancing to Mercury. The others were out fighting other gangs, attempting to gain territory. Mercury sighed, placing his gas mask over his face.

"We'll just have to manage. By the time they get here, the battle will be decided." Mercury said, his eyes glowing red as the tail of his kagune tore from his tailbone. It coiled around him, his gaze fixating on Emerald. Her eyes changed as she held up her arm, a wing of fiery blood erupting out of her upper back.

_So that must be an ukaku, a wing kagune..._

"What about me? I don't know how to use my Kagune." I said, causing Mercury to sigh. He turned around, walking over to a crate and slicing it open with his tail. In his hand he pulled out a P90, a small automatic submachine gun. He threw it in the air, causing me to let out a slight yelp in surprise. My hands wrapped the gun, my finger resting on the trigger. He reached in, grabbing several cartridges of ammo.

"We stole this from the CCG a while back. I originally planned to sell it on the black market, but we need support. That's a standard P90. On its own, it wouldn't do anything to a ghoul." He said, handing me the ammo. "But the ammo is filled with Q bullets. They're made from RC cells, the thing that creates the flesh of the Kagune." He said, pointing at his tail. "Point that at a ghoul and they'll be shot same as anyone. If you're lucky, you'll disable their regeneration."

I cocked the gun, swallowing hard.

"I've never fired a gun before."

"I suggest you learn." Emerald said, walking over to the garage door. She reached down, throwing it open and glancing into the darkness. A girl walked forward, her onyx black hair flowing gently down from her head. A white mask covered her eyes, coming down like a knight's visor and covering her nose as well. Her mouth, however, remained unprotected. On top rested two cat ears. It conflicted her serious vibe. To her right stood a tall man with crimson red hair, bearing a similar mask. His, however, was filled with red markings, two spikes jutting out the top.

"Why are you in our territory?" Emerald said angrily, glancing at me. Noticing her gaze, and how neither of the two were glancing at me, I retreated to behind the crate. Checking my ammo, I leaned forward, setting my sights on the girl.

"What do you want, Black Cat." Mercury said, his tail oscillating back and forth.

"Sacrifice your territory to us." She said, crossing her arms.

"Why would we do that?"

"Because we're telling you to, pip squeak." Said the tall one angrily.

"What did you call me, Crimson?" He said.

Crimson... I heard about him in the news. 'Black Cat' and 'Crimson' are just names assigned to these ghouls by the CCG. They must be using them here to hide their identity.

"Why do you even want our territory, anyways? We only have a block, basically. What's it to you?"

"This warehouse serves as an excellent perch and hub for our activities. You Shifts are just sticking your ass right in the middle of our business." He said, crossing his arms. "Plus, the Schnee RC Company runs through here all the time, delivering their samples to the CCG. We fucking hate them."

"I know damn well about them." Mercury said, narrowing his black eyes.

_That must be how they got this crate..._

"Is this going to turn ugly or not?" The Black Cat said in disdain. "I have somewhere to be, and I don't want to kill you."

"Well," Emerald said, placing a finger on the back of her thigh. It would be out of their view, but easy for me to see. It pointed to the right, to the side Crimson stood on.

_She must have noticed that I was aiming towards the girl... or maybe she just wants Crimson dead._

"What's in it for us?" Emerald finished, tilting her head. I adjusted my aim, my heart pounding in my chest. It was so loud, I wondered if they could hear it... Ghouls are said to have heightened senses when they were ready to attack. How heightened?

"Nothing. You get to live."

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. That would be my signal.

Could I kill him?

No, it wouldn't kill him, likely. Ghouls can regenerate.

"This is your last chance." Crimson growled.

_He would kill them. I have to..._

I wrapped my finger around the trigger, resting the sights on his head. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, I pulled the trigger. The gun erupted, several bullets spewing from my gun and thrusting it upwards in recoil.

I heard a scream of pain as he fell over, gripping his head. The girl instantly reacted, tentacles erupting from the bottom of her back. She thrust forward, sending crimson claws forward. Mercury shot towards them, his tail meeting her tentacle in a clash. Emerald leaped back, throwing her arm forward. Thousands of tiny shards of crystals fired from the crimson mass, thrusting toward Crimson. He rolled to the side angrily, slamming his fist on the ground.

Blue erupted from his shoulder, wrapping around his arm and creating a claw around his hand. He sprinted forward, raising his claw into the air.

_The sword Kagune, Koukaku._

Emerald dodged to the left, his fist slamming into the cement. He roared, trusting his hand to the left. Emerald reacted, swinging her wing across and covering her. Instantly, its flaming mass of muscle froze, crystallizing into a beautiful shield. The claw cared not for its perfection, slamming into it and thrusting her back.

I flinched, raising the rifle and setting my sights. With a deep breath, I held the gun sturdy and fired, the barrel erupting in black and scarlet fire. The bullets hit Crimson, launching him into a wall. He turned his head to look at me, his destroyed mask revealing his ghoul eye.

I fell back to cover, thrusting out the empty ammo cartridge and sticking a new one in, pulling the lever. A mass of red flew over me as the Black Cat landed elegantly on the floor, Mercury jumping over the crate and I in pursuit. He flipped midair, his tail slamming into her tentacle. The claws hissed as his tail sliced into them, a grunt escaping the girl. The rolled to the right, my sights aimed on her. I fired, her head instantly turning. One of her crimson limbs flexed, absorbing all of my bullets. She growled, sprinting toward me.

Mercury cursed, sprinting forward and tackling her to the side. She howled as they tumbled away, a fearful exhale erupting from my chest. I ran over to the next crate, raising my P90 and glancing at the battle.

Emerald cursed as she rolled away from the giant claw that slammed down, thrusting upwards with her wing. The crystal feathers shot through the air, hitting him in the chest midleap. He howled in pain, my finger pulling the trigger. Bullets tore through his already damaged figure, causing him to roll to the side. He howled, running behind Emerald and striking.

I winced, not being able to fire. He broke past her crystal shield, wrapping his claw arm around her. One of the claws of the fingers pressed against her throat, a muffled scream escaping her.

"Let her go!" I shouted, standing up.

He chuckled, pulling his claw back. Her head tore away from her body with a tearing of tendons and tissue, blood erupting from the corpse. His claw tightened, crushing Emerald's skull and raining down blood and gray matter. I stiffened, bile floating into my mouth. Ducking behind the crate, I listened as tearing flesh and the cracking of bones echoed around the warehouse.

_"Emerald!"_ Mercury shouted, in anger. I clenched my eyes shut, covering my ears with my hands.

"Do you really think that's going to help?" A voice chucked in front of me. My eyes tore open to see the black eye of Crimson, who smiled evilly. I flinched, pressing against the crate. Blood and entrails rested on his black jacket, his finger brushing against my chin.

"You seem tasty. Are you a human?" He chuckled, glancing behind the box. "Cat should have him taken care of before long."

"Get off of me." I said, my voice cracking. He chuckled, wrapping his hand around my throat.

"Don't talk to me like that, kid." He said, narrowing his eyes and opening his mouth. "I've never been one for playing with my food."

I furrowed my brow, jamming the barrel in his stomach.

"Eat this." I said, pulling the trigger. Fire erupted below me as he the bullet's exploded from the gun's barrel, tearing through his stomach. A scream escaped his throat as stumbled backwards, covering himself with his claw. I bit my lip and furrowed my brow, stepping on the kagune and aiming directly in his chest. My finger pulled the trigger, sending out another spew of bullets. He screamed in pain, thrusting my off.

"Blake, we're leaving!" He shouted in a hurry, stumbling forward. Blood spilled from his chest, splattering on the ground.

_Blake?_

The cat turned to face him, her tentacles wrapped around Mercury. With a grunt, she threw him into a crate, leaping out through the broken window. I attempted to reload, wincing at a cut that ran along my arm. I watched as the blood sealed up, allowing me to finish loading in the ammo. By the time I raised the gun, he was gone.

I glanced down at the sight before me. Mercury stumbled forward, limping slightly as he glanced down at the center. He fell at Emerald's destroyed corpse, landing on his knees.

"Damnit..." He cursed, tear welling up in his eyes. He collapsed, slamming his fist into the ground.

"Damnit..."

...

I sat on the scaffolding on the ceiling, glancing around the warehouse. Despite two weeks passing since Emerald's death, not a single word has been said. Everyday, Roman and Neo leave to fight for more territory, and they'd come back after a while.

My days had been filled with reading since that time. I had walked to a library and stolen various books, which I had read since then. My phone was running low on battery, despite my best attempts to preserve it. I can't say why, but I was desperately waiting for something. The reality of why I was waiting wasn't something I could admit to myself.

Pyrrha was the human side of me. Human life, in this short period of time, completely left my mind. I can't remember what being surrounded by people was like, or having a schedule and a daily routine. The stresses, the worries, all I couldn't remember. Whenever I tried... she just came to mind.

"Jaune."

The word came silent, yet it echoed around the warehouse with the force of a hundred drums, breaking two weeks of silence. I looked down at Mercury, who had taken her death the hardest.

"What?"

"We're leaving."

"Where?"

"The Black Dragon club. I've arranged a trade." He said. I sighed, walking over and leaping onto a crate, hopping down to the floor.

"Whats this trade about? What's this about a club?"

"Club, you know, like a dancing club," He said, grabbing his gas mask out from the crate. I sighed, pulling mine out from the hood and placing it on my face, tightening the red straps.

"Okay, what are we doing there?"

"The place buys dead ghoul parts." He said, his voice catching slightly. I wanted to ask why, but I could tell that was all he was comfortable with saying.

I could piece together the pieces. That club needed the RC Cells, and we had some. Emerald's.

"Are we selling the club something, or are we meeting someone?" I asked. He nodded.

"Meeting someone."

...

I glanced up at the night sky, lowering my gaze. My hands fell to my pockets as I glanced over to him, scratching at my neck. The music was muffled, but it was even audible from here, nearly a block away.

"The Black Dragon is a dance club operated by a certain guy named Junior." He explained. "From what I hear, he's a human. In fact, the place is majorly human." He said, finally feeling comfortable enough to tell me. "I guess it's like the black market for ghouls. Kind of like how human organs can be sold illegally." He shrugged. "So, since I had to... clean up Emeralds remains, I harvested the ghoul sections." He said, holding up a trash bag. "We can at least make some money off of this."

I winced. I knew this was painful for him, but when you worded it like that, it seemed wrong. Letting out a sigh to release the tension, I glanced up at the club. Walking up, a large beast of a man watched us with his arms crossed. A line, longer than I could see, stretched out in front of us.

"How do we get in?" I asked.

"Sometimes it costs money to make money." He said, sighing and pulling out a $100 Lein bill. He walked over, grabbing the shoulder of the man and whispered in his ear, placing the bill in his coat pocket. The man nodded, Mercury motioning me forward. I swallowed harshly as I walked in, watching as my eyes slowly adjusted to the dark.

Black lights and the raves soon filled my vision, the bass rattling the floor. I glanced up, watching as the DJ pumped his fist, his eyes a black and red.

"Over here!" Mercury shouted, motioning to the crowd. We pushed through, people smiling and laughing, dancing to the music. A woman glanced at me with her red eye up and down, licking her lips.

_She's a one eye? What is this place?_

With a glare, I activated my eye, showing her I was a ghoul. She shrugged, turning away and returning to dancing.

We pushed through the crowd, pressing past the dance floor and on to an elevated area, with what likely was the VIP area. Mercury walked up to the guard, holding up his bag.

"I'm meeting someone." He said over the music. The bouncer nodded, taking a step to the side. I stiffened walking past him, his black eyes easily visible and set on me. Mercury looked around the table, pointing to a certain one and walking over. I followed in pursuit. Turning my gaze to the table, I noticed several people sitting in the both side, glancing at us.

"Take off your mask." He said, pulling the gas mask off his head. I nodded, undoing the straps and taking a seat. A large chested girl crossed her arms and glared at me, blonde hair flowing from her head. She wasn't the focus, however. The elephant in the room seemed to be the white haired boy, no older than I, who sat at the table. Mercury sat down, glancing at the calm boy.

"Kaneki, was it?"

"Yes. You are Mercury, correct?"

"Yeah." He said. The white haired boy turned to me, tilting his head and cracking his finger.

"Who are you? My name is Kaneki Ken, and this is Yang Xiao Long." He said, motioning to his companion.

"Jaune Arc." I said, taking a quick glance at the girl. Mercury sighed, holding up the bag. Blood slowly dripped from the bottom, falling onto the table.

"This is it. Roughly 9000 RC cells." He said, plopping it onto the table. "I don't get why you need it. Its not like you're into body modifications like the rest of this place. Why would humans want to become ghouls? I don't get this place."

_So thats it, then. This place buys and sells RC cells in order to allow humans to become ghouls. Ghouls sell the body parts of their enemies and deceased friends, and humans can become ghouls. There must be a lot of one eyes in this place. _

"For personal reasons." He said, glancing back at me. "Who are you, Jaune Arc? I wasn't informed of you when Uta told me about this meeting,"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell Uta." Mercury shrugged, glancing at me. "This Kaneki guy was looking for RC cells, but I had no idea how to get in contact with him. Luckily, I talked to Uta while he was making your mask, and what do you know? He knows the guy. Made a mask for him, even."

"You haven't answered my question." Kaneki said, popping another finger, glancing at me and smiling. "Sorry, that was rude."

"I didn't find it rude." I said with a shrug.

"Anyways, Jaune is a new guy in the Shift gang. I found the one eye all alone, in an alleyway, doves on his tail. Being the kind guy I am, I recruited him." Mercury boasted. Kaneki furrowed his brow, leaning in.

"One eye?" He said, turning to me. I nodded, revealing my ghoul eye. Upon seeing my eye, he stiffened, glancing to Yang. "Jaune, you wouldn't have happened to have had an operation recently, have you? Or did you obtain it through this... establishment?"

"I had a surgery." I noted, glancing at his lap. In it was a leather mask, which had teeth and a zipper where the mouth would be. And eye patch rested around the right eye. His mask covered one eye, and Uta made it. He based the mask off of traits of the user. It wasn't hard to jump to my next conclusion. "Let me guess, Kanou was your doctor too?" I said.

He chuckled slightly, opening his left eye to reveal the ghoul eye.

"That's why I'm buying these cells off of you, actually." He said, glancing at the bag. "The group I'm with, Anteiku, we want some answers on how I came to be. I have a friend named Itori, she runs a bar. Between her and Uta, we discovered Kanou is doing some nasty things." He said. "I won't indulge you on the details, but long story short he needs RC cells. A lot of them. He has his own ways of getting some, but not enough." He said, standing up and taking the bag in his hand. His eyes fell on me, no emotion on his face.

"Would you like to assist us? Surely you want to know about Kanou." He said, glancing at us. I looked at Yang, who glared at me and popped her knuckles.

"No thanks." Mercury said, standing to leave. "I got enough shit to deal with as it is."

"Very well. Jaune, know that the invitation won't expire. Feel free to join us at any point. Simply go to Anteiku and ask for the Centipede." He said. Yang sighed, sliding the briefcase over to Mercury. He popped it open, smiling at all the Lein inside.

The music rattled the floor as Kaneki slowly passed me, his breath passing by my nose.

The...smell. It wasn't of humans, but meat surely. What was he eating?

"Let's go." Mercury said, sticking his hands in his pockets and pointing out. "Roman and Neo should be getting back soon."

"Alright." I said, looking over at the DJ. His active and excited bursts of movement and energy had all but faded as he stumbled back, pointing forward. Glancing over, I followed his gaze. It landed upon a man who wore only a purple suit, pushing back his short blue hair and giving a suave smile.

"Shit." Mercury said, glancing at the men behind him. "We need to leave, now."

"Why?"

"This place is about to turn into a war zone."

I quickly turned my gaze.

"Oh!" He shouted, so loud it even overpowered the music. The DJ kicked over his table in defense, causing the cords to snap and the music to stop. The man placed his hand over his face dramatically, glancing at the crowd.

"OH! How many half ghouls there are here! Can you just imagine the taste?! The perfection and simplicity of human flesh, combined with the delicacy and the purity of ghoul blood! OH, HOW IT MAKES ME DROOL!" He shouted, thrusting his hand up in the air. "And so many, too! I can hardly stand up straight, as these scents of the perfect delicacy assault my nostrils! Friends, do you not agree?!" He shouted, turning to his army. Each was wearing either a suit or a dress, a masquerade on their face.

"That's the group MM, lead by the Gourmet. He's crazy, we need to leave." He said, tugging on my jacket.

"Oh, but I can't eat any of you now! You all having been drugged, and drunk, and all those nasty things! That simply won't do! I only eat the best!" He said, stepping back. His well dressed goons trusted down several people, each tied up. A bag was tied around each of their head, a muffled scream escaping the bindings that rested beneath it.

"I bring you a gift! Your final meal. Only the best! Much like humans eat only grass-fed beef, I only eat those who ate the best. Ghouls, I offer you the best humans I have found." He said, grabbing one and hoisting her up.

'"Behold! Bare witness to the delicacy I have prepared!" He shouted, tearing the mask from her head.

I felt sick.

It was Pyrrha

* * *

**A/N:**

**Okay, turns out it isn't finals week, I just had a 'mock'. 'Tis dumb. Either way, still a few chapters ahead, so don't worry. You guys shouldn't have to worry about a slow schedule. And again, production will increase in the summer.**


	5. Alive:Awakened

My stomach lurched as I looked at Pyrrha. She looked horrible, tears streaming down her face. Her expression was contorted in fear, her gaze locked on the floor.

"We need to help her." I said instantly, turning to Mercury.

"What? No way in hell!" He said, furrowing his brow. "Do you know how many things are wrong with that sentence?" I grabbed his arm and tugged him closer, glaring him in his eyes.

"We need to help her. _Now_." I threatened.

"What is up with you?" He said, shaking me off. "She's just a human." He scoffed.

"What happened to the Shifts being a family? You said we helped each other, even if the task made no sense." I said angrily. His face grew annoyed as he got up in my face.

"Don't pull this shit on me. That pact doesn't include suicidal missions. Fuck you and your human fetish. I'm not helping." He said, pushing me away and turning to leave. With no time to try to convince him more, I returned my gaze to the Gourmet.

"Does no one wish to have a free meal? Oh, the harmony of the ghoul and human blood! Oh... please, please! Someone, step up to the plate." He said, pausing in his bombastic display. A smirk fell to his face as he held out his hand. "Or... do you all prefer you prey... disseased? Of course you would, it must have slipped my mind in the... excitement. Allow me to do the honors." He said, blue erupting from his shoulder. The mass of blueish muscle coiled around his arm, creating a sword of muscle and tissue. He grabbed Pyrrha by the ponytail, hoisting her back. She let out a scream as he gently rested his blade on her neck.

"Stop."

The words came out of me powerful and loud, despite the fear that threatened to cause me to faint. The Gourmet paused, slowly tilting his head in my direction.

"Oh? And who might you be?"

"The name's Jaune." I said, standing up straight. I attempted to stay as still as possible, making sure no shivers of fear were shone. "It's short, sweet, and rolls of the tongue. The ladies love it."

"Oh?" He said, thrusting up his head in laughter. Pyrrha turned her muffled gaze to me in shock, her green eyes filling with tears of joy. "_Oh mon Dieu, Jaune_, what a lovely name indeed. Tell me, what are you doing?"

"I'd like my prey alive." I said, holding out my hands bravely. "Someone's got to start the blood party."

"Is that so?" He said, throwing her into the floor. "Then be my guest. Tell me... you have a certain scent on you. Why is that?"

I shrugged, walking over to Pyrrha. I placed one hand on her shoulder, placing the other under her knees and hoisting her up. Turning to the purple suited man, I shrugged. Carefully, I removed Pyrrha's muffle with one hand, pressing my finger against her lip.

"Stay quiet, it's not over yet." I whispered, walking over and setting her down.

"Eh?" He said, tilting his head. "What are you doing?"

"Not eating her, obviously." I said with a sigh, turning to face him. The world dyed red as my left eye turned into its ghoul version. With a deep breath, I widened my stance and held out my arms, creating a shield with my body.

"You're not getting her."

He blinked twice, throwing his head back and erupting into laughter. "Oh, what is this? A ghoulish boy, and not only that, a _one eye,_ who has something with a human girl. You will be so... tasty. Very well, let us duel like men!" He yelled, turning to the crowd of the club members.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and ghouls alike, if there is anyone who wishes to assist this young man, please do speak up."

I looked around the crowd of people, all silently observing like vultures circling a corpse.

"Very well! Then, for your sake, I do suggest that you stay back. You too, my good friends!" He said, turning to the well dressed minions at his side. With a smile, he thrust an arm toward me and placed a hand on his chest. "Now, bring out your kagune, halfling! Let me see what beauty you have in store."

I blinked twice.

"Uh..." I said awkwardly. "Sorry to break the uh... atmosphere... but I uh... can't."

"Eh?"

"Yeah... Still working on how to do that whole 'fleshy weapon' part." I said, scratching at the back of my head. "I was sort of counting on me learning in the heat of the moment _buuut_" I said, thrusting my hand forward. "I've got nothing."

His lips quivered as he bit his tongue, desperately fighting back laughter. Finally, the burden seemed too much for dear Gourmet to handle, as he thrusted his head back in laughter so hard he fell over.

_"BWUAHAHAHAHAHA!"_

With a smile, I reached into my pocket.

"All of this?! Oh, I even checked with the audience! Oh, how humourous and anti-climatic!" He laughed. With a smirk, I cocked the gun and checked the Q bullets, setting the iron sights on the laughing man. Wrapping my finger around the trigger, I took a deep breath and fired.

The gun erupted in a crimson red and black flame, the bullet screaming out of the air and landing a spot in his side, tearing out the side in a spray of blood. His roar of a laughter fell into a scream as he gripped his side, instantly standing and stumbling to the side.

"W-What?! What horror is- Gah, the blood! It... hurts. It's getting all over my suit! By a human gun, too?" He said, turning his gaze to me. His eyes instantly lost all their fear, solidifying with pure anger. "Oh... it was you... Well, halfling, I must say you landed a good shot." He said, shaking the blood off of his hand. "But I don't like those without honor. Do me a favor and_ DIE_!" He shouted, sprinting forward. I glanced at Pyrrha, sprinting away from her in order not to lead the Gourmet there.

Even with my burst of speed and his heavy kagune, he caught up to me with a blinding speed, his sword coming from my right. I ducked under, sweeping his feet out from under him. He fell to the ground with a loud crash, my sights instantly on him. Without hesitation, I fired twice more. He thrust his arm over his chest, his spiral of a kagune blocking the bullets with two bright 'pings'. He slashed upwards, causing me to stumble back.

"Oh, I really can't eat you now... All the adrenaline will harden the meat... No matter, you can be an appetizer for the main course, if I could only find him..." He said, slashing forward. I winced, blocking the blade of flesh with my top of my gun. Sparks screeched off the metal as I rolled to the side, firing as I fell. He winced as a bullet grazed his leg, a 'tsk' coming from his mouth.

"I tire of this." He said, stabbing his kagune down. I let out a scream of pain as the blade stabbed into my forearm, pinning me to the ground. My hand shaken violently as I held the gun up to his head, pulling the trigger.

_Click, click... click._

"F..uck..." I said, and a smile came to his face. He kicked the gun from my hand with his sword still in my arm. With a small chuckle, he placed his foot on my chest and pulled the sword out, stabbing down into my stomach. I let out a scream as blood spewed from the wound, my hands wrapping around the blade.

My head fell to the side, my vision blurry. Pyrrha looked weakly over, her face blank and pale with horror.

"Its a shame, you could have been a tasty snack." He said, placing his foot on my chest again. My vision blurred as I looked at Pyrrha, a figure crouching by her. It whispered in her ear, slowly rising.

_Kkkck..._

The Gourmet slowly raised his head, glancing at the figure in black.

_Kkkck..._

"I suppose its a good thing I had Touka and Yang load the package into the car instead of doing it myself."

_Kkkkck..._

"I got to watch a nice quarrel. Jaune, I must say you put on quite a show."

_Kkkck..._

My vision regained its focus as my eyes set on the white haired boy, his thumb wrapped around his index as he slowly popped it.

_Kkkck..._

"Tsukiyama, we discussed this. This area is off limits for feeding until I give the okay." He said, crimson tentacles erupting from his back.

"Oh my... What a surprise..." The Gourmet said, a large smirk rising to his face. "I expected a nice snack, but here walks in the main course. Kaneki Ken, I didn't expect to see you here. Such a pure taste shouldn't be tainting himself with... these partying beasts." He said, looking at the crowd with a sick look.

_What...? Why is he acting like that with him? Isn't Kaneki just a one eye? He said he was a human..._

"Tsukiyama, I will ask again. Leave this establishment, unless you want me to 'harden my meat with the adrenaline.'" He said, popping another finger. He gave a 'tsk' of disapproval, taking his sword out of my stomach. Blood dripped from the blade, dripping onto my stomach as the flesh slowly retreated back into his shoulder, his boot settling on the ground. He slowly backed away, raising his hands. Kaneki turned his head to the side.

"Pyrrha, it's safe now." He said, glancing at her. She covered her mouth with her hands, standing up and sprinting over to me, her arms instantly pressing over my wound.

"Oh god... Oh god, Jaune, are you okay?" She said, tears pouring from her face onto my stomach.

"Well..." I choked. "My stomach is tore open, so..."

"Oh Jesus." She said, grabbing her head in fear. Blood dripped from her hands onto her cheek, a smile coming to my lips. I reached up and grabbed her wrist, slowly lowering it.

"Pyrrha, I was joking." I said, wincing at the wound. 'It hurts like all hell, but I'll regenerate."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?!" She shouted, pressing her hands against my wound. "You're... you're bleeding really bad. And... oh God your organs are..." she said, wincing and turning away.

"Is that why you didn't text me?" I asked weakly, giving a small grin. "I knew there was no way you wouldn't text me for two weeks. It's because you were kidnapped, right?" I muttered, glancing up to meet her eyes.

"I mean, yes, but-" She said, glancing down at the wound. I smiled as my gaze lowered to my torn abdomen, setting on small sections of tissue weaving in and out like a spider web meeting.

"I'm fine... seriously." I said, smiling and glancing at Kaneki.

"I want you to leave now, Tsukiyama." He said, giving an ever so small grin. "And maybe I'll reward you with a cut off finger. I should be able to grow it back."

"Oh, Kaneki!" He said, thrusting his hand up in the air. "Just the thought of that... it makes my mouth water! I can't decline such a glorious offer! Ladies and gentlemen, we will be taking our leave." He said with a bow. "I hope you enjoyed the show. Be warned, one day soon an encore will be held." With a snap of his fingers, he turned and walked out, his well dressed minions followed quickly in pursuit.

Kaneki shrugged, turning to me and tilting his head.

"I'll be taking my leave now, for real this time. Try not to get in anymore trouble."

"But he's hurt!" Pyrrha shouted. Kaneki smiled, placing a hand on his head and popping his neck loudly.

"Good, let the pain strengthen him." He said, turning and walking away. Pyrrha looked down at me, her lip quivering. I smiled, placing my hand on her cheek. My fingers smeared the crimson paint on her cheek, but she didn't seem to care. Her hands wrapped around mine, a smile coming to her face.

"I'm... sorry for all of this." I said, glancing at the crowd of silent onlookers. She smiled, hoisting me over her shoulder and pushing me up. With a smile and a slight giggle, she helped me take a step forward.

"Hey, that's my line."

...

We stumbled for the first mile out of the ward, but by the second mile I was mostly able to walk.

"Where to?" She had asked, blood dripping from her hands and a smile on her face. It was a sight I had never expected to see, but we were so happy to be in each others company again that I couldn't care less. Tsukiyama, the Gourmet, hadn't hurt her when he kidnapped her, but she was still pretty shaken up about it. He apparently just put her in a fancy bedroom for several days, feeding her admittedly really good food. It made me smile despite knowing he was just feeding her well so she would 'taste good'.

"Uh... we probably shouldn't go back to your apartment, unless you want blood on your carpet." I said, laughing. She rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well, I'm not leaving you alone. Where have you been crashing for the past two weeks?"

"Not sure you want to meet them, they aren't exactly the best of people."

"Oh, sure," She said sarcastically, giving a sigh, "Like you found a bad crowd to hang out with. If they're anything like that white haired guy, I'm sure they're fine."

"I... guess its worth a shot. It's over here." I said, pointing to the alley. Walking up to the rusted door, I banged three times. "Hey, Mercury, it's me, Jaune. Still alive, and I brought a guest."

The door clicked as someone messed with the locks on the other side, sliding the door open. The silent and small girl named Neo glanced at us, silently turning and walking down the stairs. She glanced at me, tilting her head and pointing at her teeth, then at Pyrrha. Instantly, I violently shook my head, stepping closer to her protectively. The small girl simply shrugged, walking out into the warehouse.

"So you survived, huh?" Mercury said from atop the steel beam. "Are we going to eat her?"

Pyrrha flashed a look of worry. I defensively stood in front of her, holding out my arms.

"No, we aren't."

"Have fun explaining that to Cinder and Roman. They haven't been able to hunt, considering the ridiculous amount of police lately." He said, hanging down from the beam.

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear. What's this all about?" Cinder said, walking down the stairs. Roman walked beside her, settling his eye on Pyrrha.

"Huh? Who's the girl?" He paused, taking a sniff out of the air. "Is she a human? Where you actually able to lure a girl in here? Hot damn, its about time, I'm starving." He said, taking his cigar out of his mouth and dropping it on the floor. His boot pressed on it, his eye melting into a black and red.

"No, we are _not_ killing her. She's my friend, okay?"

Roman looked at Cinder, then back at Pyrrha. He chuckled, scratching his head.

"Okay, you got me. What the hell do you mean?"

"I told you, she isn't our food." I said, standing in front of her. She flashed me a fearful look, swallowing hard. "She's my friend, from _before_ I became a ghoul."

"Are you still going on about that nonsense?" Roman said with a sigh.

"Actually," Mercury said from the steel beam. "That Kaneki guy, I think Eyepatch was his ghoul name, seemed to believe him."

"Huh? You met up with Eyepatch? Why?" Cinder said, tilting her head and squinting her eye. "And why wasn't this greenlit by me?"

"We... were trading parts. I had some stuff, and I got some money for it."

"Whatever, we have bigger problems." Roman said, walking forward. "We're eating the girl. I haven't eaten for two weeks, which isn't exactly a short time."

"None of us have." I said, my eye glowing black. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to eat her. Nobody is, ever."

"Jaune... maybe this was a bad idea..." She said, glancing at Mercury.

"So what are we going to do, Cinder? The guys new anyways, and he hasn't exactly done anything for us." Mercury said, his large tail stabbing out the back of his tailbone.

"No, he certainly hasn't."

"The Shifts are family, you said that!" I said, gritting my teeth. Cinder shrugged, letting out a small giggle.

"What can I say? That's only for people who have been here more than two weeks." She said, thrusting out her hand. A fire of muscle and flame erupted from her shoulder, embers sizzling in the air.

_The muscle is actually on fire..._

I felt the gun in my pocket, empty of bullets.

"Oh, are we doing this?" Roman said with a smile. Tentacles erupted from his back, curling around his waist. "Mercury, you're on our side, right?"

He flipped off the beam, his tail flexing.

"Duh, why wouldn't I?"

"Mercury!" I shouted in anger. "All this over a meal?!"

"Dude, hunger fucking sucks. It's nothing personal."

Neo smiled evilly, her eyes turning red. A large spike shot out of her shoulder, flowering open like an umbrella. The shield folded back up, hardening into a blade. I furrowed my brow in anger, watching as the four slowly surrounded me.

Drawing the handgun, I slowly reached into my back pocket to grab the ammo I couldn't reach when the Gourmet had his sword in my hand. With my gaze on Mercury, I expelled the empty clip and loaded the new one in, cocking it.

"Stay close to me." I said, raising the gun.

I pulled the trigger.

Mercury dropped to the floor as the bullet screeched over his head, the black and red fire erupting from the barrel of the gun. He flipped forward, his tail swinging down. I pushed Pyrrha out of the way, rolling over and taking aim. Setting my sights on Neo, I pulled the trigger twice, causing the gun's barrel to erupt in a black fire. Her Koukaku flowered open in a shield, the bullets tearing holes in them with a spill of crimson.

Cinder thrust her wing forward, flaming shards of glassy muscle flinging toward me. Glancing at Pyrrha, I jumped in front, holding out my arms. The shards impaled me in my chest, spilling blood out onto the floor.

"Jaune!"

"Stay calm!" I yelled, stumbling forward and taking aim. Roman charged forward, slashing his tentacles down. I raised the gun and unloaded the clip, several bullets bouncing off his kagune. Even so, two tore through his chest, causing his face to twist with pain and dismay. He hit the ground hard, allowing me some leverage.

_They don't know I'm out of bullets._

I sprinted over, grabbing his red hair and hoisting him up, placing the gun against his temple.

"Let us go or I shoot!" I shouted, glancing at Pyrrha. The three of the Shift gang had their eyes locked dead on me, allowing her to slip behind the crates.

_Come on... You're smart. Look in the crates..._

"Do you really think that just one bullet will kill him? Roman has a Rinkaku. he could regenerate a whole head if needed." Mercury said with a smile, his tail flexing. Roman smiled, thrusting his fist into my stomach. I gasped as he grabbed my gun hand and flipped me over it. With a smirk, he stomped on my elbow, snapping it instantly. I let out a scream of pain as the bone tore through my skin, blood trickling down.

Mercury walked forward, his tail's spike lowering to my throat.

"Nice knowin' you." He said, raising his tail and thrusting it forward.

**========So soon?=====================================================**

**=============================Why die?================================**

**============That's no fun===========================Let's live============**

A sudden energy tore through my chest as black muscle erupted from my shoulder, wrapping around my destroyed arm and forming a thick claw, thrusting itself to block the tail.

I let out a scream, caused by a mix of pure adrenaline and suppressed pain.

**===========Let's end them==============================================**

**=======================================_Those Bastards_=================**

**=================_THEY DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE_==========================**

I thrust myself up, flipping backwards and bringing down my armored arm. The black flesh landed in Roman's shoulder, blood flooding out in a spill of crimson. I placed my foot to his chest in a burst of speed, kicking him forward and bringing scattered bone with my blooded black blade.

Mercury reacted in shock, sending his tail forward. With a burst of energy, I flipped sidewards and landed on the tail, sprinting forward. He flexed his tail in an attempt to thrust me off, throwing me to the right. I stuck out my arm as I fell, the black claw slicing his tail clear off.

He let out a yelp of pain, jumping backwards. Cinder raised an eyebrow, a wry smile coming to her face.

"Aw, we got his little kagune out. Mercury, I owe you 20 Lein, it was a Koukaku." She said with a smile. Neo walked toward me with a devilish grin, resting her blade on her shoulder. Roman choked from the ground, so I didn't let him suffer. I stabbed my blade into his head, his suffering immediately ceasing as blood and brain matter stuck to my blade. Taking a second to analyze it, I smiled.

There was a small black tube, almost like an intestine, that stuck out from my shoulder blade. It went to my shoulder where it became a hardened shoulder pad, which grew downwards into the heavy one sided sword. A large piece of armored flesh hung out around the elbow, almost looking like a shield.

Neo leaped in, swinging her sword down. I met her blade mid swing, the pure power behind mine overpowering her. Cinder gave a 'tsk' of annoyance, thrusting shards of flaming muscle toward me. I held out my arm, ducking behind the shield part of my arm. Neo reacted, stabbing her arm forward.

Blood erupted from her side as gunfire echoed throughout the warehouse, Pyrrha standing up with my P90 in hand.

I let out a laugh of relief and approval.

"That's my girl!" I laughed, Neo's eyes boiling red with anger. She stabbed forward, another barrage of bullets tearing forward. She opened up her kagune, cowering behind the shield as the rapid fire of the submachine gun poked holes in the heavy umbrella.

"Get that bitch, I got this one!" Pyrrha said, much to my amusement. I got up, sprinting forward.

"Mercury... cover me!" She said.

_Ukakus, wing Kagune, like her tire easily. Must be from all that projectiles you fire._

Mercury stepped forward, swinging his cut kagune forward. I smirked as the blunt tail landed against my arm. I plunged my fingers in between the vertebrae, grabbing hold with my left hand. Taking my right, I raised it high above my head and cut it shorter. Mercury growled in anger, leaping back and sprinting over to a crate. Blood sprayed out his foot as he rolled to the ground, Pyrrha returning her aim to Neo.

I sprinted forward, dodging as Cinder's next barrage of muscle projectiles tore into the ground. I let out a grunt as I swung around, the powerful claw of my right arm tearing into her flesh. Blood spilled out of the wound as her left leg came clean off, a screech escaping her.

"Jaune, let's go! They're all down!" She shouted, running forward. Mercury tore open the crate, grabbing an AK-47 and a clip, desperately trying to load it in. Neo furrowed her brow in annoyance as her destroyed kagune turned back into its sword.

"F...Fuck..." Roman groaned from the floor, grabbing at his face.

The black blade turned soft as its flesh retreated from my arm and back into my shoulder, Pyrrha grabbing my hand and sprinting forward.

Turning back around to the warehouse, I let out a laugh and gave a middle finger.

I had never felt so alive.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Not much to say, besides finals coming up... Still a chapter ahead, if worse comes to worse. Thanks for all the support and feedback I've gotten so far, you guys are awesome :D**


	6. Mirror:-----

I narrowed my eyes, glancing up at the tall building. My hand fell to my tie, straightening it. I swallowed hard, grabbing the handle of the door and walking in. The white lobby of the CCG HQ greeted me, filled with luxurious couches that seemed rather uncomfortable. With a sigh, I walked up to the woman at the counter.

"Welcome back to the CCG, Mr. Winchester" She said, giving a smile.

"Please, just call me Cardin." I said with a smile, walking past her. Today was my first as a Rank 2 Investigator. For 3 years I have been training, learning the inner workings of Ghouls and their politics, along with the best methods of combatting them. Even so, I had hardly operated in the field.

I cleared my throat, walking through the metal and RC cell detector. After getting the approval from security that I wasn't a ghoul or carrying any weapons, I was permitted through. With a smile, I entered the elevator and clicked the button, the doors coming to a close.

A hand stuck its way in between the closing doors, causing them to slowly slide open. A young woman, roughly my age, entered the elevator. Her face was serious, yet incredibly attractive, her short blonde hair flowing from her hair. She silently stepped next to me, glancing at the buttons.

"Please click floor 7."

"Excuse me?" I asked, turning to her.

"Please press 7, I don't want to." She said, glancing at me. I furrowed my brow, clicking the button.

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to. I also don't want to spend the time explaining why I don't want to." She said, glancing at the closing doors. I sighed, staring straight ahead.

"And who might you be?" I said sarcastically, glancing at her. She sighed, as if the energy used to answer me was exhausting.

"Akira Mado. And in case you were wondering, I'm going to floor 7 to find out my new partner." She said, glancing at me.

"I thought the partners were being selected on floor 9?" I asked, frowning. She shook her head, walking out the opening doors. I sighed, walking in pursuit.

_I hope I don't get paired with someone like her. Though, knowing my luck, I probably will._

I entered the office, walking over to the breakroom. Chairs were set up, a plastic table set up in the back. With a smile, I walked over to it and grabbed a cup, pouring out some coffee.

"Its really bad." Said a large man beside me, pointing at his cup. "I prefer the ones made at Anteiku, a lovely coffee shop that I occasionally stop by with my son. Have you ever been?"

"No." I answered honestly, glancing at him.

"The name's Shinohara, by the way." He said, holding out his hand. I smiled, taking it in mine and giving a firm shake.

"Cardin Winchester." I said.

"Pleasure to meet you. We should sit down, I think they're about to start." He said, grabbing the seat in front of him and sitting down. I nodded, taking the seat beside him. I noticed the girl, Akira, stand up and walk to the front, grabbing several papers.

"Okay, I guess I'm covering this part. The Chairman Washuu should be covering this, but I guess he can't make it. Probably a good thing." She said, taking the papers out of her folder.

"Okay, so it looks like some reforms have been made. In the past, a senior investigator has been assigned to the new members, but it looks like things are getting more compact in order to stay organized. Up to 3 mentors are being assigned to one new member, with a guarantee of at least 2." She said, glancing around the crowd. "Let's just dive right in. I want this over as soon as possible.

"Weiss Schnee." She said, glancing around the crowd. A girl with white hair stood tall, glancing around.

"Present!"

"I'm your partner." She said, glancing at the sheet.

"In the same team, Shinohara, you be paired with Neptune." She said, glancing to the blue haired boy. He clicked his tongue, shooting her with twin finger pistols and a wink. Akira rolled her eyes, returning to the list.

"Together, we will form team 'SAWN', which will be shortened and pronounced 'Sun'." She said. Shinohara smiled next to my, rubbing the well-kept beard that rested on his chin.

"This should be interesting. Nobody my age, huh?" He said, sighing. I shrugged, returning to Akira.

"Oh, this is rich. Arima, you're paired with Juuzou." She said with a sigh, grabbing the bridge of her nose. A tall man, who also had white hair, stood and nodded before silently returning to his seat. A boy, who also had white hair, leaped up in glee.

_Geez, what's with this place and white hair?_

"Oh, I can't wait to teach you how to skin knit!" He said, pointing at the string that weaved in and out of his skin. I winced in disgust, turning back to her.

"Anyways," She sighed "Cardin, you will be paired with Kuroiwa." She said. I glanced around, settling on a beefy man. He glanced at me with his thick eyebrows, giving a nod.

"Mmhmm."

"That should be it. We will be referred to as team 'JACK', and it will be pronounced as such." She said, placing the papers down. "My team, let's head out. JACK, you should visit the laboratory division to get your equipment. Meet us in the break room once you finish. Someone else cover the rest, we have cases to do."

...

I glanced down at the part wrapped box, Shinohara giving a smile.

"I went to the science lab for you, since I already had to go with Weiss to grab hers. I grabbed your weapon while I was there. I thought it would be dull just to give it to you, so I stopped by a dollar store on the way." He said. I smiled, tearing open the wrapper and lifting the weapon from the box.

"This is a quinque. Its a weapon crafted from a dead ghoul's kagune. Its what we ghoul investigators use to fight ghouls, since normal weapons aren't very effective." He said. I glanced down at the blue fleshy sword, which had a curved blade. In the blade were almost teeth, resting on a crimson tendon in the sword.

"This was made from a dead ghoul known as the Banesaw. Hi's kagune, as you can see, is more or less an organic chainsaw sword." He said. I raised my brow, glancing at the sword again. A small button rested against my thumb, peaking my curiosity. Placing my thumb over it, I pressed down. Instantly the sword reacted. The fleshy tendon started moving around the blue sword like the treads on a tank, its teeth blurring into a white blade.

"Whoa." I said, glancing at the blade.

"The sword's name is simply Bane."

"That's awesome." I chuckled, eyeballing the blade.

"He had a koukaku type Kagune, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't." I answered bluntly, glancing at him. Shinohara sighed, shrugging.

"So do you know the other members on our team? What are they like?" I asked, placing the sword back in the box.

"Well, Arima is pretty quiet, I'd say, and usually keeps his emotions to himself. He's also undefeated."

"Undefeated?"

"Yeah. In all his time with the CCG, he's never lost to a ghoul. I don't think I can stress enough how big of an achievement that is. That's the only thing I know about him, though. Like I said, he's pretty silent. I can't even remember what his voice sounds like."

"And the other kid?"

"Juuzou?" He chuckled. "He's a good kid. He had an upbringing you wouldn't believe, and it's messed him up pretty seriously. Even though, he's not as bad as people make him out to be. You'll probably find him to be a little crazy... Actually, drop the little." He said, smiling.

"What about the other guy? Kuroiwa?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Another silent guy. Not quite as silent as Arima, however. I've gone on many missions with him, and he's a good fighter. He cares for his team, and especially, his partner. I have no doubt he'll be a good mentor for you."

"What about your team? Who are those guys? I feel like I've seen the girl and the blue haired guy before, but I can't quite place it." I said, giving a sigh. He smiled.

"Weiss is the girl and Neptune is the blue haired guy. Can't say much about them yet, since they're new. From what I can tell, Neptune seems to be a player type. Weiss is an interesting case, though. Her family owns the SRCC, or the Schnee RC Cell Company. They supply us with most of our RC cells."

"How? Isn't that stuff made from Ghouls?"

"They have some... sketchy ways of getting them. Currently, we just give them all the dead ghouls we can find. There are some rumors going around that the SRCC hooks up ghouls to these machines, and then farm them."

"Disgusting." I said, shriveling my nose. He chuckled, shrugging.

"They may not be the best business partner, but the CCG needs its cells. Its our only real method to suppress the ghouls." He said with a chuckle.

"And what about Akira?" I asked, remembering the girl. "What's her deal?"

"She's just stubborn. She's lost her previous partner and father lately, but I assure you she's a good kid at heart." He said, patting his chest. "I think you two should get along fine."

Anyways, we should probably head up. Akira is waiting for us."

I glanced around the room, looking around at the filled chairs. Akira grabbed a file, slamming it down in the desk.

"This will be our next target." She said, glancing down at the picture. Two twins glanced away from the camera, each wearing a different color outfit.

_Right down to business, huh? Not even a hello? A 'how are you'? Don't you at least want to stop to make some coffee or something? I could go for a cup right now..._

"Melanie and Militia Malachite. They reside in an establishment known as 'The Black Dragon', which is a club down in the 9th ward. We have sources that suggest this may be a hub for ghouls, as well as a nexus for blackmarket trade." She said, taking a seat. The white-haired Juuzou leaned in tapping their pictures.

"Oh! They look fun! Do they like dissection too? I get the feeling they would." He giggled. Shinohara sighed, glancing at the pictures.

"I don't think that's relevant, Juuzou. They are likely Ghouls, so they probably can get pretty bloody, if that's what you're wondering." Shinohara said with a shrug.

"Mmhmm." Grunted Kuroiwa.

_Is grunting all he does?_

"Currently, estimated rankings for both are set at S rank, and that isn't accounting for all the ghouls in the establishment." She said, throwing over another file. In the picture where several dancers in the overly crowded club, all of which appeared to have gray eyes.

"What's more, is they seem to be into body modification." She said, tapping on the grey eyes. "From our sources, this is a place for both Humans and Ghouls. It seems like Ghouls are selling RC Cells for human meat. The humans, in turn, modify themselves accordingly. There are even reports of full blown Kakuhous flowing through the market, landing themselves in humans. The Kakuhou, for those not in the know, are the organ responsible for the Kagune of the Ghoul. Thats the organ that creates their weapon." She said, tapping on the picture of the girls.

"Now what makes this establishment worthy of a full blown raid is the tech. These girls were originally human. We've seen half ghouls before, and hypothesize that they are one eyed ghouls. The thing is, once you seem to be a ghoul there's no going back. These girls, however, are different. They are said to be able to eat human food, yet still retain use of their Kagune." She said, crossing her arms. Arima leaned in, silently observing. His hand rose to adjust his glasses.

"Even worse, is this injection of RC cells isn't limited to humans. Ghouls are doing it as well, some even achieving a fourth of a Kakuja level. For the new ones, a Kakuja is a level of ghoul that are extremely powerful, and can usually only be achieved from by cannibalistic means. That is to say, ghouls eating other ghouls. This place is a breeding ground for things that the CCG hates. Kakujas, human ghouls, blackmarket trade, just all bad."

"Now, Cardin, Weiss. I know you two are both new. Its stupid to think we can throw you into a mission like this, but we need to start getting ready. You have your weapons, if nothing else. The good news is you have the undefeated and totally overpowered Arima on your team to cover your asses. Until then, we'll work up to this raid." She said, pulling out another picture and placing it on the desk. It was a blurry picture of a brown skinned man with red hair. On his face rested a mask that resembled a fox, dyed a rusty orange.

"This is a ghoul with the alias of 'Fox'. Currently, it is presumed he is supplying the Black Dragon with several drugs, including cocaine. He seems to be the representative of a larger source of drugs. It seems that this is the Black Dragons main source of income, allowing them to set up a natural barrier to the CCG by setting up ghoul watchmen of at last S rankings. We've attempted to send in men incognito, but currently 6 of the 7 attempts ended in failure. In order to even set our sights on the Black Dragon club, we need to starve them out. Team JACK will follow this 'Fox' ghoul, and report back. He's commonly spotted in the 8th ward, so I want you to go there. Engage if necessary, but stealth is more or less the goal here. We need to find out his hiding spot. SAWN will be investigating a cold case I'll grab the files for in a sec, for a similar reason. From there, both team SAWN and JACK will raid the base, destroying any labs they have set up. Sound acceptable?" She said, glancing up at us. I sighed, placing my finger in my ear.

"I have no real idea what you just said." I said, glancing at her. She sighed, placing her hand on her face.

"Let's hope your lack of intelligence will be made up for on the battle field."

"Can I get a too long, didn't listen to?" I said, leaning back in my chair. She narrowed her eyes grumpily. glaring at me.

"Theres a club that does bad things. Making half ghouls and stuff, along with really strong ghouls. They run on cocaine-"

I raised my eyebrow

"Don't!" She said angrily, stopping me before I could make a comment or joke. "and you are going to bust the drug labs in order to cut off their main source of income."

"Anyways, since you have your weapons, we're leaving in an hour."

"But I just got here..." I whined. Akira flashed me a glare, glancing at Juuzou.

"I want you to stay quiet on this mission, got it?"

"AWW!" He shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "My weapon is a giant scythe and you won't let me use it?! I mean, come on! Let me kill some ghouls!"

"No." She said, pressing her hand against the table. "Oh, and another thing. You all have been briefed on Eyepatch, correct?" She asked, glancing at us. I shrugged, causing her to let out a sigh of annoyance.

"Eyepatch is a white haired ghoul known for having brutal tactics. Currently we have to believe he is a one eye, though his once-human identity still remains a secret." She said, pulling out a file. "Yesterday we got wind from a ghoul DJ. He was walking around drunk out of his mind, and stumbled out of the Black Dragon's circle of influence, which is pretty impressive considering its size. We caught him, threatened him a little, and he gave us some info. Nothing about the establishment, but some news about Ghoul politics that could be helpful."

"Politics? Ghouls have politics?" I said, furrowing my brow. She shrugged.

"Politics may not be the best word. The inner workings and situation of the ghoul world is what I mean. I guess MM, the infamous ghoul restaurant known for luring in people and eating them, attacked Black Dragon. They were stopped, so we learned, by Eyepatch and one other."

She opened the file, poking at it.

"We don't have a picture for him yet, since he's only a rumor. We can't even confirm his existence. People are calling him 'the white knight', since supposedly he tried to save a human. Currently out artists are working on a picture of him for you, but he's roughly 6 feet tall, thin but lean, short blonde hair, blue eyes, handsome."

I gave her a wink, but she ignored me.

"Rumored to be a one eyed koukaku. The human girl was said also to be in the 6 foot range, redhead, green eyes. The DJ didn't get a great look at either at them, and it was from a distance, so the artist's interpretation may not be the most accurate. I'll get them for you on your assignment, however. The point I'm trying to make here is stay on your toes. Just because someone doesn't look like the picture doesn't mean they aren't who we're looking for. It just means we can't run them through Vale's database and find out their identities." She said, pointing to the whiteboard. Lines where drawn between the name 'MM' and 'One eyes'

"Where you are doing your recon may be a warzone, or it may be completely peaceful. We don't have any knowledge about either the Eyepatch or the Knight's location, but beware. The Eyepatch is a confirmed half-Kakuja, so he's deadly. SS ranked, if you were wondering."

"I wasn't." I said rudely.

...

I tugged at my jacket, straightening my collar and grabbing my suitcase. Inside it rested Bane, hidden from view as I stepped out of the black car. I silently placed a hat on my head and wrapped a scarf around my head, further hiding my face. It was a night time operation, so unfortunately I couldn't wear my new stylish sunglasses.

Arima stepped out of the car, glancing at his team.

"Let's not go with partners for today. Juuzou, you go with Cardin. Kuroiwa, come with me."

"Mmm." He grunted, giving a nod. "We'll cover the west district. Cardin, cover the west."

I blinked twice. Both of them had spoken, which shouldn't be as surprising as it was.

"Oh, I love the east district! So many ghouls! So many ways to slice them up!"

"This is a stealth mission." I said, glancing at him with a cold gaze. He shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets and stepping forward with large and childish steps.

"If you want me to not slice people, you have to do something for me!" He said, fumbling with the string weaving in and out of his arm.

"What?" I said, glancing back at Arima and Kuroiwa as they walked away, tugging their hats down to cover their faces.

"Buy me coffee!"

"What? No." I said, crossing my arms, my breath forming a fog against the cold snowy sky of the city. "You expect me to give you caffeine, a stimulant, before you go on a stealth mission?"

"Oh, come on! I'll be good, I promise! Super quiet! I'll even sew my mouth shut! Right through my lips." He said, grabbing a pin from his jacket. I flinched, grabbing his hand and lowering. His head tilted to the side as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"That's alright, don't do that. I'll get you some coffee."

"Yay!" He cheered, pointing to a small shop up ahead. "This place is great! I go here with Shinohara!"

"Why is it in such a shitty part of town?" I asked, stepping into the shop. I sniffed at the fresh smell of coffee, along with the small handmade sign.

_Open and ready to serve!_

I smiled, taking a seat at a table. Juuzou gave a childish grin as he sat down, crossing his legs and grabbing the menu. My gaze fell to a waitress with purple hair, dyed, which came across one eye. She stiffened, walking back into the shop.

"Where we supposed to wait to be seated? Is that a thing in cafes?" I asked, glancing at him. He shrugged, glancing down at the menu.

"I'm sorry about that gentleman, small coffee machine malfunction." Said a voice from behind the counter. A man with white hair flashed a small smile, walking over to us with a cup in hand.

"Will it be fixed soon?"

"Should be only a few minutes." He said, glancing at Juuzou. The boy gave a large grin, pointing at an item on the menu. The man held out his notepad, scribbling it.

"What will you be having? I'll have it be free, considering the wait." He said.

"Just some black coffee, please." I said, glancing at him. "Are you the owner?"

"Yes, I currently operate Anteiku." He said.

"Well, the name's..." I paused, realizing I'm on a recon mission. "Hunter. Hunter Green." He flashed a smile, grabbing my hand and giving a firm shake.

"Nice to meet you, Hunter. My name is Ozpin."

* * *

**A/N: Well that was an info dump. Hopefully that wasn't too painful to read :/**


	7. Insanity:Famine

I stumbled forward, glancing weakly at the falling snow. With my arm thrown over her shoulder, Pyrrha hoisted me up and pushed me deeper into the city, away from anywhere we could be found.

"Where are we going?" She said, glancing at the abandoned warehouses. To my knowledge, this was no man's land, no buildings here worth controlling.

"Deeper." I said weakly, glancing down. Today, the day after we fought, marked the third week since I ate. While I should have a month, I just fought off 4 skilled ghouls. Not only that, but I had to regenerate after having my arm destroyed twice on two separate occasions, as well as receiving a kagune to the stomach. My hunger was beginning to tear away at me, through the small and quiet rumblings that would echo in my pounding head.

"Jaune..." She said quietly, glancing around. "I've had enough of this." Pyrrha placed me down gently, coming in close and brushing the snowflakes from my hair.

**========Oh...=====================================**

The fresh scent of-

_Snap out of it_

But I couldn't.

"God, its so cold." She said, rubbing her hands on her arms.

"You don't have a jacket." I said, it finally dawning on me.

"Mr. MM or whatever you said took it from me."

"Here, take mine." I said, unzipping.

"No, Jaune, its fine. You need it more than I do right now." She said, sitting next to me. "Just uh..."

A small blush formed around her cheeks, her ears turning a bright red. It must have been the cold, just like how her nose was a rosy red.

"Let me get close to you. To share warmth."

"That's a bad idea" I began, but she already scooted over. I felt her cold hair hall to my shoulder as her head rested against my shoulder, her hand falling to my chest.

"Uh..."

"Don't make this worse than it has to be..." She said, glancing away with a red face.

**=================she's so close======================**

**======just=====bite=============it==================**

I slammed the back of my head against the concrete, earning a slight gasp from her.

"What's wrong?"

"Its... nothing."

**==================I'm hungry======================**

**===I'm hungry=================I'm hungry=============**

**=======I'm hungry========I'm hungry==================**

**==I'm hungry====I'm hungry======I'm hungry==============**

I winced, pain firing up my spine with the intensity of lightning, my stomach forming a vacuum as it threatened to eat itself away.

"Pyrrha."

"Yes?" She asked, glancing up at me.

"You need to take my jacket and run. I got us to a place where I can't hurt anyone."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I haven't eaten in three weeks, and like hell if I'm going to eat you." I said, wincing as the next knife of pain stabbed into my stomach.

"But I can't! Not after all this!" She said.

Her scent drifted into my nose, my eye dying red. I shut it closed, covering it with one hand so that she couldn't see.

"Get out of here, please." I said, gritting my teeth.

"No!"

"I can't promise you'll be safe!" I shouted, causing her to flinch slightly.

**=====eat her...====EAT HER===========================**

"GAH!" I screamed, leaping up and scratching at my head. She let out a yelp at my reaction, my vision blurring as I stumbled to the side. I let out a growl of frustration, glancing around me. With a smile, I walked over to the other side of the alley and grabbed the chains dangling from the rusted door. I set it down, grabbing the mask from my hoodie and placing it around my face, pulling the straps tight.

"What are you doing?" She asked, standing up.

"Uta, a guy I know, made this mask. I told him I regretted eating."

"And? What does that have to do with anything?"

"This thing doesn't have a mouth hole. Teeth, yeah, but that's for decoration. It will keep me from biting you." I said, tugging the straps tighter.

"And the chain?"

I wrapped them around my wrists, placing my hands behind my back. With a deep breath, I leaned against the metal pipe leading into the old industrial building, motioning her over with my head. She furrowed her brow in worry and confusion, taking the chain in hand.

"Tie it up. Maybe look for an old lock for an extra measure."

"Jaune..."

"This has to happen." I said harshly, looking her straight in the eye. She nodded, tieing the chain as best as she could. It worked, at least to a satisfactory effect. No matter how hard I pushed or pulled, the chain didn't come undone. I let out a sigh of relief, plopping myself down in the snow.

"That's better."

"What now?" She asked, sitting down. "You know more about this whole ghoul thing more than I do."

"Uh... We wait. Or at least, I do. I still think you should run."

"I'm not. I already did, and I regret it." She said, crossing her arms and giving a pout. "I've known you since elementary school. Like hell I'm leaving you here to... well I'm not sure what happens, but I'm sure I'm not leaving!"

"I know, I know. Being smart is too much to ask." I said with a chuckle, rolling my eyes.

"Hey!"

**================HEY!============================**

**======HEY=====================HEY===============**

**===HEYHEYHEYHEYHEYHEYHEYHEY=======================**

Her voice pounded in my head, causing me to wince as the snow slowly fell to my nose. A small smirk of some emotion came to my face, followed shortly by a small laugh.

"Do you remember the time when you'd braid my hair? It was so short, but damn if I didn't look stylish in it." I said, causing her to giggle slightly.

"I wanted you to grow out your hair like that Ren guy in our class. He had the hair length perfect for a braid, but he never let me."

**====LET ME=========LETMELETME======================**

"And do you remember when I ate that headless man?" I said, blinking twice. She tilted her head, a slight look of worry growing on her face. "Nevermind, forget I said anything."

...

And slowly, ever so slowly, an hour passed. An hour passed and nothing changed. Nothing changed. Only pain. My stomach had shriveled to the size of a rotten apple, burning as its stomach acid ate itself away. My black eye shot back and forth wildly as I licked my lips underneath my mask, glancing at Pyrrha. A look of fear, such a tasty look of fear, rested on her face.

"Did I ever tell you have beautiful your hair is? Its such a lovely shade of red. Crimson, just like blood. Or muscle fiber. Oh, or even tissue." I said, giving a slight laugh. "Tissue is the best part, though it always gets stuck in my teeth."

"Jaune..." She said, taking her knees into her hands. My jacket rested on her shoulders, her breath meeting the air in a small cloud.

"It's okay! I'll protect you. I'll always protect you. You'll be safe, you'll be safe..."

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked, standing up. "Water, food, anything. Is there anything you can eat?"

"You."

Silence ensued as she glanced at me, swallowing harshly. I turned away, unable to take her stare. With a sigh, I clenched my eyes shut, the cold gently freezing my skin.

"Do you know how it feels, now?"

I opened my eyes, and instead of Pyrrha there, the ghoul named Ruby glancing down at me. Not Pyrrha, not the girl I knew, but the devil. A forest of snow grew around us, its white leaves slowly drifting down.

"You did this." I growled.

"I know! Isn't that the best part! I'm probably not even alive, so you can't get revenge!" She said, her eyes turning black. "Ever since I turned you into a ghoul, you have only suffered! How great is that!"

"Shut up!"

Pyrrha blinked, slowly backing away. Snow slowly fell against the gray sky, her hands coming up to her face to warm her up.

"I was only trying to help."

**=======================HELP?!====================**

**===GHOUL=========YOU TURNED======ME INTO===========**

"No you weren't!" I shouted at Ruby, causing her to smile. Glancing down, I watched as white roses grew at my feet, slowly blossoming at my toes.

"Does it really matter? You're a ghoul now, and you have to eat people! Everyone you love, you will eat. You will never live a normal life again, isn't that great?!"

"Its..."

She hummed quietly, twirling around and holding out her hand. A white leave slowly fell into it, a sheepish grin on the girl's face.

"Why do you fight it? You have a meal, warmed to the perfect body temperature, standing right in front of you!" She said, pointing to herself. "All you have to do is take a little nibble. It should be easy from there. Let all~ that doubt drip away like blood."

**=========NIBBLE==================================**

**============IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!================**

**=_=JUST===========FUCKING=============EAT HER=======_**

My stomach lurched, pain firing through my spine as the vacuum tore at my bones, absorbing all thought.

"I'll never..."

"Oh, really? You said that about the old man, and you chomped on him. Then again, with that headless guy. Then again, with that one fat dude Roman hunted. Don't make a promise you can't keep!" She said, placing the rose in her hair and giving a smile. "Your family thinks you're dead, by the way. I mean think about it. You called your mom every thursday, at 2 pm on the spot! You'd never miss it, you little cutie!"

"I was too busy eating that fat fuck to worry." I said, throwing back my head in laughter. Pyrrha grabbed me by my arms, glancing into my eyes with tears dripping down her face. Her voice was too soft to be heard, but even then I could just barely make out the words coming from her lips.

"I'll eat you." I said, glaring at her.

_I...L(Something)...U(?)..._

"You want to know the best part?" Ruby said, stabbing her hand into my chest. I screamed in pain as she cut into the tissue with her nails, blood dripping from the wound. With a smile, she slowly removed her hand and licked the liquid from her nails. "You'll never never understand what she just said."

**========NEVER=======EAT==========================**

**==============WHY==============================**

"Look down! Your human side is keeping you locked away!" She shouted, grabbing my wrists and holding them up. Shackles wrapped around my wrist, chains attaching them to the trucks of the white trees.

"Break away! Be free!"

_**====FREE=====TO EAT===============================**_

_**======OH======GOD,====FUCK YES====================**_

"I want to eat so bad... I sink my teeth into that neck, tear away the tendons and bite to the bone..."

"BE FREE!" She shouted, grabbing my arm. Ruby [Pyrrha] reached up, taking off my mask.

"Just go! Find someone! I can't bare to see you like this!" Pyrrha shouted, tears dripping onto my lap. Ruby [Pyrrha] wrapped her arms around me, HER SCENT overpowering me! Ruby opened her mouth wide, biting into my shoulder as she buried her head against me, BLOOD [MY WILL] spilling out from the wound. I let out a scream as I looked down at the white roses, their petals slowly turning red.

The forest [MY SANITY?] dripped with blood as it slowly turned crimson, rose petals softly falling.

_**==================FOREVER FALLING=================**_

I let out another scream as energy tore through my system, the chains snapping with thousands of sparks. With hungry eyes, I wrapped my arms around my PREY,

_**AND BIT INTO HER**_

* * *

Ruby melted away.

She melded away, blood spraying onto her hair.

Her hair, now a blood red.

Her eyes, now burning with fear brighter and greener than green fire.

My tongue pressed against the soft flesh as my teeth sunk into her shoulder, my teeth tearing the flesh away. I smiled, falling to the side as I slowly chewed the flesh, blood spilling from the corner of my lips. A slight giggle escaped me as I swallowed, licking the liquid from my lips.

And then my logic returned, smacking against the back of my skull like a baseball bat. I had taken a bite out of Pyrrha.

She sputtered and choked as she gripped her bleeding wound, pain gripping her face and contorting it violently.

"Oh, fuck!" I shouted, crawling to her side. "Pyrrha! Pyrrha!"

She swallowed, her eyes glassy. My finger pressed against her neck, the world slowing.

_Kathump_

_Thank god, she's alive. She's alive! I need to get her to a hospital, yesterday!_

There were no hospitals in this ward, not with all the ghouls.

_"The offer is still open."_

My limbs filled with energy as I grabbed Pyrrha in my arms, covering her wound and applying pressure with one hand. She mumbled weakly, her gaze focused far beyond me.

"Come on, stay with me." I shouted, sprinting through the alleyways. Blood dripped from my mouth as I ran through the city, weaving in and out, earning the occasional gaze from a homeless ghoul.

Even if there was a hospital, there was no way I could spin this off in a good way. With all the gore on my face, my eye still glowing black, it was obvious I was a ghoul. I sprinted into the public area, people letting out a scream as they saw the woman in my hand. Cars shot past me as I sprinted down the sidewalk, desperately scanning the signs.

"Someone! Anyone! Help, she's hurt!"

More screams.

_Anteiku._

There it was. The small sign, handmade, pointed to a small shop. I charged forward, knocking down a man in a suit and kicking the door open.

"Centipede! I need the Centipede!" I shouted, glancing around the shop. "She's hurt, real bad!"

Silence. The entire coffee shop turned to face me, nearly all the faces contorted in fear and shock. A man, middle aged with white hair, stood tall in front of a table. Two men, each calm, glanced at me from the table.

"Well then." Said one standing and grabbing his suitcase. He slowly placed it on the desk, flipping the latches on the container. "That was easy."

I furrowed my brow in confusion, looking back and forth.

"Cent-"

My eye caught a purple haired girl behind the counter who slowly placed a finger to her lips, pointing at the man. I turned my head back at him as he pulled a blob of flesh out of the suitcase. The flesh formed a sword, causing all the people in the room to gasp and cower in fear.

"Like that? Freshly made Quinque. A weapon made from a dead ghoul's kagune. Pretty rad, huh?"

My heart dropped as I realized what he was. A CCG member. The people specifically assigned to hunt ghouls like me down and us.

"Do we get to cut up ghouls now?" The white coated boy next to him cheered, reaching for his briefcase. The familiar man held out a hand to silence the boy, turning to me and raising the sword.

"The White Knight, I presume?"

"The what? Can you fucking put that thing down and help her!" I shouted, stepping forward.

"Why do you care? She's a human."

"Why the hell does that matter?!" I shouted, turning to the man in the vest. "You, can you help her?"

The white haired man swallowed, glancing at the CCG investigator. He gave a small nod, causing the waiter to slowly walk over and take Pyrrha from my arms.

"Touka, get the first aid. Kaneki, call an ambulance." He said, taking her back behind the counter.

"You idiot." He chuckled, walking out from the table and raising the sword to face me. "You just signed your death warrant. You realize that, right?"

"Then kill me."

"Gladly!" The white haired one shouted, reaching for his briefcase. The brown haired one once again waved him off, turning his head around to the various people in the shop.

"Hmm..." He hummed, lowering his sword. "Maybe not."

"What?! Come on!" The boy whined.

"I'm pretty sure our first rule is to value civilian lives over ghoul lives. There's a lot that would be caught in the crossfire." He said, scratching his head.

"So you're just going to let him go?"

"No, that's boring. No doubt Akira would throw a fit." He said, walking over to me. He flipped his sword, pressing a button. The teeth on the flesh of the blade whirred into action like a chainsaw as he brought the blade to my neck.

I didn't move, only glared him directly in the eye.

"Here's how its going to go, Knighty. You're a ghoul, and I've never been a fan of stealth. You'll show me exactly where this 'Fox' guy is, and I'll let you go. I've read up on your file, seems you like humans. I'll ignore that you just chomped on that one girl." He said, giving a smile and lowering the blade.

"What gang is he with?"

"Aogiri." The boy said, raising his hands. "They're funneling that white stuff into the Black Dragon club."

The man behind the counter stiffened as he cleaned the blood from his hands with a handkerchief.

"We got a deal, Knighty?"

"I thought the CCG's goal was to kill as many ghouls as possible."

"I mean, it is, but I just got this uniform. Getting blood on it would be less than desirable. I kill you, my cover is blown, can't kill the Fox, no money for me or my pal here. How about we work together. One ghoul still dies either way, I get money, and you get to live. Its a fair deal, right?" He said, shrugging.

"Fine." I said, brushing my hand through my blonde hair. "But how do I know you won't just stab me in the back? Especially considering I'm _leading_ you somewhere."

I said, playing along with it. I had no idea who this 'Fox' was, but if I could get them the hell away from Pyrrha, that would be the best solution.

"I guess you'll just have to trust me." He said, walking over to his case and putting his sword away. "I'm not sure I can promise about Juuzou here. He seems pretty backstabby."

"Aww, thank you!" He said with a smile. "But I won't kill this ghoul. As long as I can tear the other one apart as much as I want."

"Feel free." The man said with a shrug, walking over to me and holding out his hand. "The names Cardin, by the way."

"Uh..." I said, taking his hand. "I probably shouldn't tell you my name."

"I've already seen you up close without your mask. Your name isn't going to change anything." He said, causing me to freeze. A chuckle escaped his mouth as he gave a hard shake, pulling me in and patting me on the back.

_"I won't tell anyone."_ He whispered.

_"Jaune."_

"No fucking way." He said, pulling me back and scanning my face. "Oh man, that's fucking rich."

"What?"

"I'll tell you when there aren't as many witnesses. Anyways, Juuzou, we're heading out."

"Aww..."

"Lead the way, Knighty."


	8. Creator:Mockery

"I see," I said, walking down the street and glancing at Cardin. "You're that asshole that bullied me in elementary, aren't you?"

"Huh, color me impressed that you figured it out." He said with a slight chuckle. "You still dating whats-her-face? That one girl who saved your ass."

"Pyrrha, and no, we never dated." I said, rolling my eyes.

"So, she's not a ghoul." Juuzou said, twirling around and grabbing at his coat. "She just let's you hang out with her?"

_How much should I tell them? I need enough that he would believe me, but not enough to give away that I'm completely bullshitting._

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." I said, giving a shrug. "We have an interesting relationship."

"I can tell by the bite marks." Cardin sighed, his breath forming a fog on the wispy winter air.

"Hey, you're not a ghoul. Hunger doesn't give you a choice." I said, narrowing my eyes.

"If you say so." He sighed. "So tell me about this Fox guy."

"Don't know too terribly much."

_Aogiri. They mentioned Aogiri._

"He works under an group called Aogiri. I'm... new to the block, so I'm not too familiar on how much power they hold. But I did work with a gang for a bit. They called themselves the Shifts. They were dealing with Aogiri for a bit." I lied, pointing to the warehouse.

_Revenge will be sweet. I need an escape, and you lot are assholes. I would say nothing personal, but that would be a lie._

My plan was simple. Lure him into a fight with the Shifts, then escape. I get some revenge, they get a fight, everyone's happy.

"So you worked with them?" He asked, referring to Aogiri. I had to continue to lie, but this wasn't that hard. Really, he had to be new or something. Maybe the CCG just didn't know about Ghoul politics, since I would think it was pretty obvious that I was BSing him. My tone, my stiff stature, everything wanted to give it away.

_Or maybe these two are just idiots._

"Sort of. I'm at the bottom of the barrel, man. Its not exactly like I see my employer." I said, lying through my teeth. "I take the money, and occasionally some RC Cells for the black market, and take my leave."

"How did you get into the business? You uh... seemed pretty normal when we went to school together." Cardin said with a sigh. "Did something happen?"

"Its a long story that involves revealing identities of ones I care about," I continued to lie "I hope you understand why I won't tell it."

"I suppose that's fair."

"...So if and when shit goes south in there, what do I do?" I asked, tilting my head. "Should and can I run away?"

"I mean, I guess." Juuzou said. "It's not like we need him. He probably won't stay, so its whatever. We know where the human girl is, at worse."

_Shit._

"Well, let's see what happens," Cardin said. "If he's right and we really do bust Fox, I'll turn a blind eye to him and his girlfriend. Bringing this Fox guy in will help my career out insanely. If he's wrong, however..." He chuckled, popping his knuckles.

_Shit shit shit shit..._

"Ready?" Cardin asked quietly, leaning against the door and pulling out his flesh sword. Juuzou chuckled in excitement, extending a large black scythe from the flesh-like metal from his suitcase.

"Knight, you breach." He said. I shrugged, my heart pounding as my vision dyed red, the black flesh rushing down my shoulder and coiling around my forearm. With a grunt, I slashed downwards, cutting away the lock in a burst of light. Instantly, I kicked open the door and turned to Cardin and Juuzou, ready to attack when they learned I tricked them.

But in the warehouse stood Mercury and his gang, a man with dark red hair, brown skin, and a fox mask turning his head towards us.

_You have got to be fucking kidding me. He's actually here?._

"FREEZE! CCG!" Cardin shouted, raising his sword. "GET ON THE GROUND!"

"Shit! It's the doves!" Mercury shouted. "Scatter!"

Fox turned towards us silently, red spikes firing from his back and sliding down his arms.

"Twin Koukakus?!" Cardin shouted. "Juuzou, watch out! This guys dangerous!"

"WEEE!" Juuzou shouted, leaping from a crate and flipping midair, slashing downwards with his quinque. Sparks exploded off the flesh as Fox thrust his right arm upwards. The scythe flew up in Juuzou's hand as Fox stabbed forward with his left arm. Juuzou giggled, throwing his scythe in the air and rolling underneath the blade. He pulled open his jacket, turning to Fox's back and throwing what seemed to be thousands of small knives.

He let out a grunt as Juuzou grabbed his blade midair, slashing downwards. Fox grinned, blocking the blade with his right arm.

"You!" Cardin shouted, pointing to Cinder. She let out a seductive giggle, her flame bursting from her back.

"I see the little punk went and tattle tailed on us. What a bad time to do so..." She said, her voice becoming thick with anger. "I was about to make enough money to retire!" She shouted, bursting forward and leaping into the air. Flaming shards shot towards Cardin as he weaved through the mass, striking down. Cinder's wing flexed, crystallizing instantly as the blade crashed into it.

A loud crack and whirring echoed explosively through the warehouse as Cardin's chainblade tore through her wing, striking down her leg and cutting it wide open.

I inched backwards to the door, turning around to meet Mercury's gas mask.

"You bastard." He shouted, grabbing my throat and hoisting me up into the air. "I'm going to kill you now, you fuck head. Then, I'll find that idiot of a girl that was apparently worth all of this, and kill her too!"

"Die... in a pit!" I shouted, thrusting my sword arm up and cutting off his arm. He let out a scream as he grabbed his stumble, my hands fumbling to tear the fingers of the cut off arm from my neck. With a gasp for breath, I tore off his arm and ran past him. A loud crack exploded as his tail shout out, stabbing into the concrete beside me. Turning around, I slashed into his tail and returned my gaze forward, sprinting forward.

"Cardin!" I shouted.

"What is it?! I'm a little busy!" He shouted, dodging Cinder's fire.

"I can leave, right?"

"Sure, whatever! Just shut up!" He shouted, slashing into the flaming mass.

"I'm going to cut you up~!" Juuzou cheered, slashing into the torso of the Fox. He didn't falter, sprinting forward and tackling Juuzou.

"Bastard!" Mercury shouted, sprinting towards me. I lowered my stanced, leaping over his tail and spinning around midair, impaling his spine with my sword.

I turned the blade to the side, snapping it in two. He twitched, falling to the floor as he lost control of his legs. With a smile on my face, I walked away from the scene.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You're an absolute idiot!" The girl with purple hair shouted. Kaneki introduced her as 'Touka'. "You lured the Doves here! Now they know something's up with this place!"

"No, only Cardin does. He said he'd be quiet."

"Oh, and that _obviously_ means he's telling the truth, right?! Kaneki, are you listening to this?"

"I am." The white haired boy said with a sigh. "But you said you know Cardin, correct?"

"I do."

"Will he go back on his word?"

"Go back on it? No. He may come by and extort me for information, but he's not going to flat out stab me in the back. At least, not like this. Probably. Hopefully." I said, scratching at the back of my head.

"Well," Ozpin said, glancing at his coffee shop staff. "Welcome. I'll assume you'll be staying with us?"

"I see no reason not to, if it's okay with you." I said, giving a smile "How's Pyrrha?"

"She should make a full recovery." He said, handing me a bag. "This is some food for you. I'd imagine you must be famished."

"Yeah, actually. I only had that one bite of her, and then I fought off the Shifts..." I sighed, taking the bag from him.

"Well, this is my shop." He said, pointing to two women. One had short dark brown hair with glasses covering her eyes. A burette rested on her head as she slowly lowered her glasses to look at me.

"This is Coco."

"Hey." She said, pushing up her glasses and turning to the long brown haired girl.

"This is Velvet."

"H-Hi!" The nervous girl said with a smile "I-I like coffee!"

Ozpin chuckled, turning to Touka.

"You've met Touka and Kaneki. Yang's out searching for food, but that's all the people we have."

My stomach dropped.

"All?" I asked, my face turning pale. "There isn't one more?"

"Who would you be thinking of?" He said, pouring a cup of coffee.

"A girl worked here roughly two weeks ago, injured in an accident. Ruby Rose. What happened to her?" I said, standing up.

"How, exactly, do you know my sister?" Came a voice from behind me. I turned to see the blonde girl Kaneki had introduced me at the club as 'Yang', hey gaze cold.

"Back... Back when I was a human-" I waited for the gasps, but none came "I went on a date with her. We got hit by a train, and I woke up in a hospital. I was a ghoul after that."

"That is certainly Kanou's work." Kaneki sighed. "But Ruby never came back. We assumed she is dead, is this not the case?"

"She checked out of the hospital, yes." I said, furrowing my brow. "Where would she be?"

"I don't know." Ozpin said, placing his hand on his chin. "My best guess would be MM. She would have been weak from hunger, and knows a few people there. Why she hasn't returned remains to be seen. Anyhow, we can worry about that later." He said, handing me the coffee. I glanced down at the coffee, tilting my head.

"I'm confused."

"Drink it."

"I can't." I said, glancing up. "Ghouls can't eat or drink human food."

Ozpin smiled, sliding out the seat and sitting down. His fingers locked together as he leaned in, peering over his small black glasses.

"You want to know a secret?" He said quietly. I nodded, still utterly lost. "Ghouls can drink coffee."

"What? You're kidding." I said, leaning back in shock. He smiled, raising his hands and shrugging.

"It's true, try it." He said. I sighed, instantly taking the cup into my hand and placing it to my lips. The familiar flavor flooded into my mouth, tears welling in my eyes.

"Hot damn," I said, giggling like a child "I missed that."

Touka hid a smile as she turned away, Kaneki tilting his head and giving one for her.

"So... what now?" I asked, glancing at them. "What's the goal of this place?"

"To live as best we can in this human world." Touka said, giving a smile.

"I mean, who plans on killing us."

Silence. Awkward in nature.

"What?"

"If there's something I've learned of the Ghoul world, someone always has a knife to your neck. I'm asking who." I said, causing Touka to furrow her brow.

"Aogiri. The CCG. MM. Take your pick. Right now, we are trying to infiltrate the Black Dragon and stockpile some RC Cells. A source we know is tied to Kanou, so we're going to lure him in with a trade, and cut off the snake's head then and there."

"I see." I said, nodding. Yang frowned, pulling out the seat next to me and plopping herself down, resting her arms on the back of the chair.

"Now that all the initiation shit is over, what's up with my sis?"

"I told you. I didn't know she was a ghoul and asked her out, and she said yes-"

She shot her gaze up and down, her mouth falling to a disgusted look.

"You?"

"Yes, is it that hard to believe?"

"Kinda."

"_Anyways_, she started crying and saying how she was sorry, and bit into me."

"The hunger," Kaneki sighed "Ruby never seemed to want to hurt a fly. Especially humans."

"Hell if I don't know what that's like now." I said with a sigh. "But then the train hit us, end of story. I planned on becoming a doctor in the real world, you know? Now I can't do anything like that, I'd eat the patients."

"A doctor, you say?" Kaneki said, seeming interested. "What kind?"

"A surgeon, but I also specialized in microbiology and drug testing." I said with a sigh.

"Do you think you could study the Ghoul biology?" Kaneki asked, furrowing his brow. "We... acquired some deceased Ghouls. I half thought to eat them, but they would be better served as test subjects."

"I mean, I could try. Why, though?" I asked.

"We need to know more." He said, frowning. "The technology to make a human ghoul hybrid is slowly becoming more refined. While we were human, Jaune, we certainly are Ghouls now. Some in the Black Dragon are rumored to be a literal hybrid, the sweet spot of RC Cell count."

_Both humans and ghouls have RC Cells, but ghouls have tens of thousands while humans only have a few hundred._

"They can live as a human, but have the powers of a ghoul. They call that one the Sphinx." He said, crossing his arms. "If we could create that tech, or just flat out get ahead in the technological race, we could make a difference. How remains to be seen."

"I'll... play around with the idea. Where's your kit?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It took me a minute to adjust to the darkness, Kaneki turning toward me with... what frankly looked like torture tools. Scalpels, medical scissors, and pins, yes, but it had far more than just that. Restraints, spiked weights, monkey wrenches, and more.

"I can fetch the bodies from our freezer, if you need them."

"No, I want to study on a live ghoul for now."

"What do you mean?" He asked as I walked over to the microscope.

"Why do you have this?"

"Ozpin used to want to learn more about the Ghoul biology. Find a way to adjust our tongues and digestive systems to eat human food again. He failed. The body transforms with RC Cells. The more you have, the more ghoulish you are. End of story, that's the law."

I summoned my Kagune, the black flesh bursting from my shoulder.

"I am the subject." I said, narrowing my eyes and grabbing a saw. "And I want you to be the surgeon. Cut off a slice of my Kagune."

"I will not be able to do that with just a saw." He said, tilting his head. "A saw like that wouldn't cut through a ghoul's skin, yet alone a koukaku. Do you want me to resort to other methods?" He said, his red tendrils slowly rising from his back. I swallowed harshly as I held up the blade, his finger wrapping around his thumb with a pop.

"Do it."

His tendrils shot around the claw, glowing as he tore the section off. I screamed as the flesh's tendons snapped, the piece falling to the ground.

"You have a high pain tolerance." He assessed. "Most Ghouls would have fainted."

"Its... nothing." I said with a grunt, my kagune vanishing. I glanced at the large slab of hardened flesh, lifting it onto the table.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Wait and watch."

...

"That's your big idea?" Kaneki sighed. "Watching it?"

"Ukakus can fire projectiles, and that's what tires them so. Yet, the flesh can stay hard and even shatter after it separates. How long can a piece of a kagune sustain itself when detached?"

"That's..."

"If it rots, then the entire thing should be treated as one entity. If not, and it can be separated for long periods of time, it may not be one entity. Thinking about it, that one Fox guy had two kagunes. They were the same time, but is it that silly to think two of the same type can exist?"

"No, its not silly. We have a girl named Hinami here. Ozpin didn't introduce you since she's a... younger kid. Not a child or anything, but we're all very protective of her. She has two kagunes." He explained, sitting on the lone table in the middle of the poorly lit room.

"Then there may be able to be more than one Kagune organ, or it may actually split into two kagune. There's a lot of information that rests in how this thing decays."

Hours passed, and the chunk did little more than shrivel. I nodded, munching on the piece of flesh Ozpin handed me and turned towards Kaneki.

"You ready?" I asked, summoning my Kagune.

"For what?"

"Probably nothing, but we'll see." I said, holding out the sword of flesh. It had regenerated to a brand new state, despite the chunk resting on the counter. I wrapped my arm around the shield of hardened muscle that rested on the side of my elbow, grabbing the limb it held onto and gritting my teeth. With a pull, it came off.

I didn't even have to tear it off. It just came off.

The shield was in my hands. Kaneki looked on at me silently, hiding his amazement. With a swallow, I reached over my shoulder and grabbed onto the intestine-like tube that stuck out of my shoulder and went down to the sword wrapped around my arm. The tube instantly hardened to my touch, tearing off from my shoulder. I slid my sword off my arm, holding it in my hand.

My kagune was completely detached, except for the small shoulder pad that the intestine hooked up to. With a smile, I grabbed my flesh shield in one hand, raising my sword in my other.

"The CCG create weapons, like swords, from Ghouls," I explained. "They are called Quinques. Cardin's sword isn't attached to his body. He can wave it around, throw it up in the air. Ghouls, obviously, usually can't throw their kagune. Its attached." I said, tossing the sword part of my kagune in the air.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and Kaneki. I present the world's first natural Quinque."


	9. Aware:-----

I smiled, leaning back in my chair and tugging at my tie. With my eyes closed and a chuckle escaping me, I placed my legs cross onto Akira's desk. She was... less than pleased, but said nothing. I opened one eye, tilting my head.

"What? Not a single 'good job'? How about 'Cardin, you did amazing'" I said, leaning in. "'We've been trying to get that guy for ages', how about that!"

"Beginner's luck." She said distastefully, angrily typing on her keyboard.

"Ha!" I laughed.

"That, and I hear Juuzou did the actual apprehension of Fox. You just held off the female ghoul." She said, glaring at me.

"I-I mean, that's-"

"Don't toot your own horn, okay? It wasn't special."

"Is that a euphemism?" I asked, causing her to sigh.

"Listen, Cardin. This isn't a game. People die doing this, and quite commonly. Guys with your attitude always get killed first. I... I don't need more people dying."Sh e said painfully, glancing away. I realized I hit a nerve and sighed, leaning forward and placing my hands on my knees.

"Sorry."

"Its fine. You didn't mean anything by it." She said, typing onto her keyboard. "You did well, okay? I'm still impressed with how you found out his hiding spot so quickly."

"I know a few sources." I said, awkwardly breaking eye contact.

"Well, you should share them with the CCG. We need guys like that, people on the inside. Anyways, we brought him to the ghoul prison and starved him a bit, and he revealing the locations of a few meth labs. From the little inside sources that we have, it does seem like the Black Dragon took an instant hit."

"That's good." I said awkwardly. I didn't know much about the Ghoul world. To be honest, before I started working here I didn't know the Ghoul's had a world. We were taught that they were the shadows moving in the night, the monsters under our beds. That they would hunt down the evil little boys and girls and eat them raw, painting the moon with their blood. Imagine my surprise when I found out that one of my... classmates was a ghoul. It wasn't something I could easily wrap my head around, half ghoul or not. And the fact that he had a human girl? It was enough to cause a headache.

"Yeah, but they have a backup. Besides all the massive intake they get from their little black market scheme, they also have a sponsor."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you've probably heard about it by now. A certain MM, a restaurant deep within the 7th ward that is filled with selective eaters like The Gourmet. The Black Dragon tends to produce one-eyed ghouls, which seem to be a delicacy among those of MM."

"I can see why they'd support it."

"The Gourmet is... a unique character to say the least. He's the leader of the establishment, and tends to leave the 7th ward quite commonly. I'd like for you to research into him and possibly eliminate him if possible."

"Cut the head off the snake?" I asked.

"No, not exactly." She explained. "Taking the leader or government away may cause a nation to collapse, but MM is more just a nexus of gourmets. Tsukiyama runs this place, but I'm sure people could take his place."

"Then what's the point in targeting him?"

"He's the one that's currently funding BD, Black Dragon. Cut him off and they're is a chance, however small, that the funds are at least cut."

"So we're not doing an execution, just a regular old attack."

"Against a really strong ghoul, yes." She said with a sigh. "Honestly, the risks probably outweigh the rewards, but that's what the higher ups are requesting."

"Well that sucks." I said, my shoulders dropping.

"I suppose. On the bright side, you do get a few days off to relax and destress before the big mission." She said, half trying to make me feel better.

"That's..." I mumbled, cupping my chin.

"I know, it's not the best. Good news its another full squad mission, so you'll have Arima with you, and he's never lost. They call him the 'death god' for a reason."

"Really?"

"So goes the rumor."

"Well that certainly helps." I said, sighing. "But I'd still like another way to destress."

"What are you thinking?"

"Just that a coffee for two sounds great, and not the breaker room's coffee." I said, causing her to fall back into her chair and grab the bridge of her nose.

"No."

"Oh, c'mon." I teased, tilting my head and brushing back my brown hair.

"No."

"Pretty please? With a cherry on top?" I asked, putting my hands together. She shot a glare at me, rolling her eyes away.

"We will go as coworkers and coworkers only."

"You're no fun."

"I'm 21, and how old are you?"

"Err..." I said, looking away and scratching at my face. "20 in a few months."

"So 19."

"I mean-"

"We go as coworkers, take it or leave it." She said, typing into her computer before adding "And you're paying."

I sighed. "Fine, when does your shift end?"

"I had the 4 AM to 2 PM block."

"Wow, that's pretty hardcore. I mean, I am too. Do you have to wake up at 3 to get here on time, too?"

"Yes, but I still think those who have the overnight shift are more 'hardcore'" She said, standing and packing her items into her briefcase. "I don't think Arima ever gets any sleep."

"I hope you were joking about the whole 'Death God' thing. What kind of nickname is that, in our business field.? 'Jack the ripper' is a nickname. 'Shredder' is a nickname. Hell, even just 'Jason' is a pretty cool nickname. One of the ghouls I saw had 'Cheshire' as an alias, and _that's_ a nickname. 'Death God' isn't."

"If it makes you feel better if japane-"

"I don't care about what story gave him that, its a bad nickname." I said, causing her to roll her eyes and grab her briefcase.

"You're an asshole, you know that, right? No girl is going to date you with that attitude."

"Coffee shop?"

"I'm not dating you, it's a coffee break." She said, turning away angrily and walking out of the cubicle.

"Hey, hey, hey! Its Akira-" Juuzou cheered, Akira storming past him.

"Out of my way." She puffed.

_Oh, I pissed her off _so _much._ I thought with a smile, jogging up to her in pursuit.

"Akira, wait up!" I said with a laugh, causing her to shoot me a glare.

"If you're going to be like this, forget the coffee. We're going to a bar. I can't handle your immaturity without something in my system."

"Uhhh..." I said, scratching at the back of my head. "Not 21, remember?"

"Where do you think we are, America? We're in Vale, the legal age is 18."

"Isn't it a little early to drink anyways?" I asked, scooting past Arima as he gave me an odd (almost sympathetic) glance.

"No." She said, turning and storming to the elevator. I tried to catch up to her as she pressed the elevator button, but Shinohara bumped into me, knocking me into the wall of the next cubicle.

"Oh, sorry Cardin! Didn't see you there." He said, offering me a hand. I grumbled, grabbing it and allowing him to hoist me up, squeezing past him.

"What? No thank you?" He said with a laugh, my gaze turned to the closing elevator doors.

"W-Wait!" I said, running over. Akira gave me a slight smirk, crossing her arms as the doors closed in front of me. I let out a sad chuckle, hitting the door with my fist.

"Damn her."

...

Luckily, she had calmed down by the time the elevator came back up. I took it down and went past the RC cell censor, where she was waiting patiently on one of the couches.

"Took you long enough. I told you I don't like wasting time." She said, crossing her arms and thrusting her face away from me.

"And whose fault was that, again? Do remind me, I have bad memory." I said, giving a wink.

"Let's just go. You've managed to double my daily stupidity quota." She said, rising and walking ahead. "Let's talk about something that actually matters on the way, okay?"

"Uh, sure. Like what? MM?"

"No, I don't think that will be needed. How much knowledge do you have about ghoul biology?" She asked, turning her head slightly.

"Next to nothing."

"Well, as it stands we are to believe that there is no line between ghoul and human. A human can become a ghoul and a ghoul can become a human. The factor that determines this is RC cell count."

"Okay..."

"Current biological historians know that Ghouls have existed ever since the time of the Samurai, so its not like they are anything new. Our current guess is that there was a cult long long ago that was cannibalistic. Most humans have like 200 RC cells. So when they ate and ate and ate more humans, they eventually became the world's first ghouls." she explained. "But from my experience, you know about half ghouls, don't you?"

"W-Why would you say that?"

"The fox you fought was a one eye, and currently we believe that those are half ghouls. Another thing is that we have RC cell repressors. They shut down the RC cell's brain, so to speak, causing it to quit working. This usually is used in combat to turn off a Ghoul's kagune, but then you have a different type being developed. One that could bring a ghoul down into a level where they may be considered human again." She explained.

"What's this all add up to?" I asked, confused on what the point was. She sighed, straightening her suit and pulling at her collar.

"I want you to sign up for a program. I can't explain what it is now, but a fair amount of the employees are signing up. Weiss, Neptune, Shinohara, and I are all entered. Its... an experimental program, so there will be... certain risks. You wouldn't have to make a decision for the next month, so for now focus on your MM mission. We can discuss what occurs afterwards. You are a newbie, so its unfair just to ask such a thing from you."

"Okay, I guess." I said, shrugging. "With the amount this job pays me, it would take a lot for me to say no."

"Anyways, I'll get you the paperwork later. " She said, walking into the bar and sitting down. She glanced up as the bartender slowly walked over, his hand wrapped around a towel as he cleaned out the inside of a glass. He gave a modest smile, his purple eyes meeting ours.

"Hello, are you two together?"

"No, why would you think that?" Akira said annoyed.

"I meant bill-wise."

"My answer isn't changing." She said, crossing her arms. "Actually, it is. He's paying for it."

He sighed, setting down the glass and glancing at me.

"Well, I will be your bartender today. My name is Ren." He said. Akira took the liberty of not only ordering for herself using my money, but a drink for me. Ren walked off and crafted our drinks, Akira letting out a small giggle as she downed the glass.

"Another!" She exclaimed, slamming down the glass.

"Are you really sure that's a good-"

"Hey, I'm 'yar superior! I know what's best!" She said, taking the next glass from Ren. Her words were already slurring

"So you both are uniformed," Ren assessed. "I assume you are coworkers. Where do you two work?"

"CCG." I said, taking a small sip from the glass and making an 'uck' sound. He stiffened slightly, but nodded. "Its been a weird week for me, y'know?" I said, glancing at the two.

"Eh? What are 'ya runnin' on about?"

"Ah... nothing." I said, taking a sip and thinking about Jaune.

_"I have another request." He said, walking down the street as he let me to Fox. "There's a... certain ghoul that I'd like you to find. CCG's database may have something on it."_

"Like hell if I can do that." I mumbled, fumbling the glass of liquid in my hand.

"Excuse me?" Ren asked, tilting his head.

"Oh, its nothing. This is a nice place." I said, glancing around.

"Your face is nice!" Akira shouted, as if attempting to insult me. After realizing how the insult fell on its face, she sat back down and took another drink. I chuckled, patting he on the back and glancing at Ren.

"So, Ren, how long have you run this place?" I asked, glancing around.

"A few years. My girlfriend and I started it up. She's in the back, probably." He said, shrugging. "What about you? How long you two been in the CCG?"

"A long time..." Akira said, growing solemn.

"Just a week or two." I said, raising my brow at her.

"Ah, so you're new." He said with a nod. "How are you liking it?"

"Its... certainly different than what I was expecting." I said, straightening my tie and letting out a sigh.

"Which is...?"

"'Dunno. Just sort of heroically slaying demons or something. Never really thought about it." I said, leaning back in my bar stool. He nodded, picking up another glass and grabbing a towel, rubbing the inside of it clean.

"So its not the glory job everyone paints it to be?"

"No, I don't think so." I said, frowning at Akira's sad demeanour.

"Definitely not." She mumbled, messing at something in her in, I noticed the small necklace, a stainless steel cross. The cross dangled from the chain that stipped from her palm, Akira sighing and placing it back in her pocket.

"So..." He said, realizing the mood "any good sides to it?"

"The pay is awesome." I said with a smile. "The pretty coworkers help."

Akira gave a grunt, elbowing me in my side. I winced, chuckling as I grabbed the wound.

"Uh..." I mumbled, glancing at him. "So... do you like... know things? All the bartenders in the movies know everything."

"I mean..." He said, shifting. "Yeah, I know a lot. What do you need to know?"

"It would be in the ghoul area."

"I... might be able to help." He said, stiffening. I felt the atmosphere shift as Akira eyeballed me silently, my hand cupping my chin in thought.

"I'm sort of looking for someone, and I was wondering if you could help me find them." I said, glancing around. Akira held up three fingers and raised a brow. Undoubtedly she was making an 'M', questioning if I meant MM. Shaking my head, I turned my gaze back to the bartender.

"A little while back there were a strain of murders done by a single vigilante. Media covered it as the Pedal Case." I explained. "They covered all the victims, thinking they were human. Turns out it was just the opposite. Nearly all of the cases were ghouls."

"A ghoul serial killer?" He asked, leaning in.

"Yeah." I said, leaning in. "I looked into her file a bit. All serial killers have a stamp, something they used to mark their victims. The only thing they have currently is that all the ghoul's kagune organ was torn out." I said. He raised an eyebrow.

"That's..."

"Not very specific? Yeah." I said, scratching at my chin. "We have no reason to believe it's one person. What's more, I went to the mortician in the CCG. Asked to look at the bodies. He was reluctant, but let me." I explained. Ren crossed his arms, unsure of where I was going. "I measured the wounds. Only half of them actually had bite marks, and the ones that did? The teeth didn't match. Its another person. I've identified at least 3."

"Woah." Akira and Ren said in unison, glancing at each other momentarily.

"In the CCG, the Pedal cases is sort of a cold case. Its a ghoul killing ghouls, great for us. The only reason we're looking into it is that the killer may turn into a kakuja if we're not careful. Though I met a guy, and he's interested. So... I need to find a person. Not to arrest them. In fact, just the opposite. They will be my partner, or at least my info broker."

"Who is it?" He asked.

"The guy? Uh... he's..." I said, scratching at my cheek. "A friend. Someone relatively trustworthy."

"Why is he taking interest in this case?" Ren asked, fear and curiosity mixing in his tone.

"Its for a dumb reason, really."

"Shoot."

"Well..." I chuckled. "The murderer is the Rose. He sort of had a thing for her. I'm looking for a Ruby Rose." I said. All chatter in the bar died in that moment, as the waiters stiffened and looked at each other. Ren swallowed harshly, placing down the glass and setting his hands on the table. The silence hung heavy on the thick air as he pulled at his collar, standing tall.

"You called?" A voice said from behind. I turned around to see a waitress set down her place, brushing aside her black hair as red highlights glowed in the dim light. Her silver eyes gleamed as she gave a smile, tilting her head.

"I'm Ruby Rose."


	10. Exquisite:Delectable

**A/N:**

**Sorry about the gap in chapters, been busy. Hopefully I can get back on track schedule wise. **

I sighed, taking a small sip from my coffee as my gaze fell to Kaneki. The white haired boy sat across from me in silence, not a word needed to be said. There was a silent understanding between us, some purely natural link. Maybe it was because we both once were human.

But even so there was a rift. Currently, we wanted to find Ruby Rose. Everyone here at Anteiku wanted that. Yet, there were hardships that would arise from attempting to get her back.

Firstly, we would possibly lose our chance to trade the RC Cells with Kanou, meaning all the connections and work Kaneki and his group put in would be for nothing. We have nothing on Kanou, if we lose that trade, thats it.

And secondly was the more fundamental rift. The actual emotional distance between him and I. While losing Kanou sucked, the gap came from the mission. I know Tsukiyama, the Gourmet, leads MM. According to Kaneki, he might not let Ruby walk so easily. He has his own goals that he may try to use Ruby to get. This included eating Kaneki.

My solution was simple, though bleak. Stab him with my detatchable Kagune. Kaneki gave an ever so subtle frown when I suggested it, and I knew instantly it wasn't because he was against killing as a whole. I remember Ozpin, or someone in this cafe, saying Ruby had friends in MM. Could Tsukiyama be classified as a 'friend'?

There would be multiple solutions that would have been solved by Tsukiyama's death. Cardin stopped by yesterday suggesting that I pull some strings to do just that, assassinate him. I simply told him I'd do what I could. Yet there was just this atmosphere... As if no matter what I chose to do, it would be wrong.

"Let's go." Kaneki said simply, standing.

We walked out, joined with Touka, on down to a nice bar. I had only hit legal drinking age very recently, so the bar was quite foreign to me. We sat down, the bartender grabbing a glass and walking to us.

"Kaneki? Touka? To what do I owe the honor?" He asked.

"Hey Ren, how's Nora?" Touka asked.

"Fine, fine. She's off fermenting some blood for our wine. Speaking of which, care for a glass?" He asked.

"Never been a wine person." Kaneki said with a frown. "Maybe when we can replicate more forms of human alcohol."

"Okay, so why are you here?" Ren asked, tilting his head.

"Well, Vampire..." Touka said, using his CCG alias. I've heard of him, drinking blood commonly. "We need to get upstairs."

I had been briefed by Kaneki just before the mission. Upstairs rested MM, the Ghoul Restaurant. From what it seems, Cardin knew this, too. He seemed... upset. As if he learned something he didn't want to know.

"Upstairs?" Ren said, frowning. "Tsukiyama won't like the surprise."

"I'm sure he will be more than happy to see me." Kaneki said, causing Ren to nod. He turned, his ponytail flapping as he walked over and whispered into a waiter's ear. He nodded, waving us over. We stood, following him behind the counter and up the stairs, to the large iron door.

"Password?" Asked the man at the door.

"Eyepatch." Said the one waiter. I flinched, glancing at Kaneki. He made no reaction, only walking further into the fine room.

_So Tsukiyama really does have some bond with Kaneki... Yet... the wording of this all... Why do I feel so uncomfortable?_

We stepped through the beautiful room, grabbing the masquerade masks and placing them to our face. Stepping into the crowd, we took our seats in the front row. The sick feeling in my stomach returned as I watched the cages open to reveal two suited men. Both where scared out of their minds, and the screaming of the other Ghouls didn't help.

"They're going to kill them?" I asked, frowning.

They stayed silent.

"Welcome! Welcome! One and all! I have a special meal prepared for you tonight!" Yelled the white suited man, wearing a half moon mask on his face. It was none other than Tsukiyama, the Gourmet himself.

"These humans have a unique taste, so I've found. I believe it's the RC Cell based drugs they consumed while at a certain club..." He said, placing his hand on his chest.

"Yes, indeed! They consumed the very thing that makes us Ghouls, so it's only fair they be consumed by the forces that excite them so! Oh! Let us enact justice in the name of all Ghouls!" He shouted, the cage slowly opening to reveal a beast of a man.

"I won't let him kill them." I said, my eye burning red.

"Jaune, remember why we are here. We came for Ruby Rose, nothing more. We can't hate these Ghouls for eating, as disgusting as they are." Kaneki said.

"Food..." The beast said, lifting its large hands and grabbing the left human. It wrapped its right around his head, ending his scream with a pop as his head and spine slowly left his body. I just watched as he stumbled over, grabbing the second man and grabbing his two arms, his other hand grabbing his one leg. With a simple groan, he pulled the man in two, his organs spilling onto the floor.

Kaneki gave a slight look of disgust as the men in black slowly scooped up the meat from the floor, taking it away. A man, who I quickly identified as Ren, stepped out onto the stage and walked over to Tsukiyama, whispering in his ear. The purple haired man gave a wide grin, thrusting his hands up into the air.

"Audience, dear audience! It seems I have three special guests, so please excuse me! I must get my best delicacy and prepare!"

"It seems we've been ratted out." Kaneki said with a sigh, standing tall. "Let's go, he'll be waiting for us."

...

We sat at a large dining table, dressed up in the suits and dress Tsukiyama prepared. He sat at the end of the table, slowly sipping from his blood wine.

"I have to say, I really didn't expect this today. Why are you all here, if I may ask. And who is the blonde one? He smells delightful." Tsukiyama said, licking his lips subtly.

"We are here to ask for our friend, Ruby Rose, to return. And he's-"

"The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it." I said, giving a pause. "We actually met, when you almost killed a friend of mine."

That explains my hatred for him perfectly, now doesn't it? He tried to eat Pyrrha.

"Oh, dearest me! I remember you! You were the one who defended the red headed human girl! Oh, how romantic." He said seductively, leaning his head against his palm.

The waiters arrived, setting down our meal. A perfect steak, that would make any chef wonder how they achieved such perfection. I'd love to say I had the humanity to turn my head, to not take a bite. But that didn't happen. My hand shakingly grabbed my fork, and my other grabbed my knife. I cut the steak with shaking hands, placing it within my mouth.

I nearly fainted right then and there. The initial flavor and various spiced juices flooded my mouth and drove me insane. It took me a second to notice the ever so slight unique flavor. A flavor that made it separate from the meat I usually ate. What it was, I could not place. It made Kaneki smile, while making Touka give a subtle frown. I took the odd silence as a chance to feast. Politely, I devoured the steak. My thumb shakingly rose to my lips, wiping away the spare steak juices that rested on top. I should have used my napkin, but I had been more than polite in my eating, despite the intense desire to just grab it in my hands and stuff it in my mouth.

Tsukiyama silently watched me eat, a small smile on his face.

"I hope you enjoyed your meal. Now, tell me, why are you here?" He said calmly, not speaking in his usual robust way.

"We would like to talk about our friend." Kaneki said, turning to me. "Jaune, could you pass the blood sauce?"

"Sure thing" I said, awkwardly rising and handing him the vial. He grabbed the glass jar, his fingernail slicing into the skin of my wrist as he pulled the vial away. My eyes hardened in understanding.

"Oh dear, I think I cut myself again. Still getting used to this whole 'Ghoul skin and sharp nails' thing." I said, after sitting down and waiting a few seconds. "Tsukiyama, could I borrow your handkerchief?"

His eyes narrowed quizzically as he stood, walking over and handing me the fabric. I took the white cloth and pressed it to the wound for only a few seconds; by then it healed. The blood, however, showed clear on the cloth. Tsukiyama pocketed it calmly, returning to his chair.

"If you'd excuse me for a moment." He said, rising. "I must use the rest room."

Kaneki's eyes changed, showing a slight look of satisfaction. Touka sighed as he wandered off, opening the door and walking in.

"Well, this will be awkward." Touka sighed. "you just had to use that method of all of them on Shitty Tsukiyama, didn't you?"

The reason for her comment became all too clear. Even through the door, the muffled screams of delight escaped into the hall.

"Oh, sweet harmony! Another smell, that seems to be that of Kaneki? Could it be?! OH! EL DORADO! A ONE EYE!"

His yelling continued for roughly another six minutes. Even Kaneki, with his rather blank facial expressions, gave a sigh of relief when he ended and returned to the table.

"Forgive me, I must have eaten something rotten. Anyways, so to what do I owe this honor? My dearest Kaneki Ken, I doubt you have dropped by just for a simple hello." He said. Touka sighed at the fact he had already forgotten.

"We'd like to speak about our friend, remember?" She said, being her usual blunt self.

"Ah, yes. This friend, who is he?"

"It's actually a she. Ruby Rose." I said, leaning in. The Gourmet nodded, locking his fingers together and covering the grin on his face.

"Ah yes, Mrs. Rose. She's been such a pleasure to work alongside with, these past few weeks."

"We'd like to ask if she could return home with us." Kaneki said simply. Tsukiyama narrowed his eyes, leaning back with a slight chuckle escaping him. His hand went underneath the glass of blood wine, which he rolls around before taking a long sip.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Mrs. Rose is too much fun to simply say goodbye to now." He said, flashing his pupils towards us.

"I'd pay you... with a strip of my flesh." I said instantly, remembering Kaneki's plan. Tsukiyama turned his vision towards me, his devilish grin twisting more.

"Oh, really? Well, this is really quite an offer. Its not commonly I get to eat that of a One Eye. I'd be lying if the thought of your flesh, topped with our seasoning, didn't drive me absolutely mad. But I'm afraid I must decline the offer." He said, causing the three of us to grow silent. Kaneki sighed, as if he was pulling out the trump card.

"I will give you a piece of my flesh, too."

Tsukiyama's face hardened, not so much as if he was convinced as much as if he was thinking hard about something. It was as if the comment stirred something inside him.

"No."

Kaneki's face showed a look of surprise, the most emotion I've seem him show. Touka, too, seemed flabbergasted. Was this issue really something he placed over his obsession with eating Kaneki? I shook my head. From what I've seen, this was fundamental to his character. Tsukiyama the Gourmet existed to eat Kaneki Ken. So then, why did he turn him down?

It clicked. Tsukiyama had always lived a life of luxury, that much was obvious. But what came from that life was isolation, and with isolation, confusion to interaction. Tsukiyama knew not what to do now, not because he wanted to eat Kaneki literally. It was his way of showing his devotion to Kaneki. In a way, it was his way of showing his 'friendship', if it could be called that.

It clicked because I struggled with interaction, too. Though my struggles manifested as social awkwardness, not Tsukiyama's bombastic facade.

Kaneki stood up, walking over to the gourmet with an upset look.

"We require Ruby." He said. I sighed, standing and walking around the table to Kaneki's side.

This relation Tsukiyama held with Kaneki made sense, now. Why he'd value Kaneki, but not go through with eating him when he had the chance. No, I understood that if Kaneki was gone, Tsukiyama would be absolutely and completely destroyed. Kaneki Ken played that much a role in the Gourmet's emotional state.

"Tsukiyama!" Kaneki said, putting force in his tone. His eye went black as his tendrils slowly fell from his back, Touka standing and doing the same. Her eyes boiled black and red as the wing of her kagune burst from her dress. I followed suit, the black flesh of my Kagune bursting from my shoulder and wrapping around my arm.

A smile of amusement rose to Tsukiyama's face.

"Will we finally duel like old times?" He asked, almost in a sense of nostalgia.

He valued Kaneki, yes, but not to eat him. No, he valued him as a companion. Which made this simple. I took my shield and sword off my arm, gripping the handle of my separated kagune. The Gourmet eyeballed my weapon silently, both in a subtle amusement and fear.

"I see where I stand. This Mrs. Rose, yes, this Rose. I'd never let this blooming rose be poisoned by your touch! No, even if that rose has her own thorns, I intend to let her grow beautifully!"

_Grow? That unique flavor... could it be?_

"Tsukiyama! We don't want any trouble! Just give us the girl!" Touka shouted, her voice filled with anger. I could feel my blood boiling with anger, despite how clear my mind was, and how calm my body was. Kaneki understood that this wasn't about meat, so why did he ignore it? He's to Tsukiyama much like Pyrrha to me. She sees that even if I'm a little dense sometimes, I'm not an idiot. I was steaming, at the Gourmet for hurting Pyrrha, at Kaneki for not executing the mission right, and at myself for what I needed to do.

I wrapped my left arm around Kaneki, placing my sword on his neck. He gave no reaction, however Tsukiyama stiffened and Touka gave a yelp of surprise and rage.

"Tsukiyama, give me the girl or he dies!" I shouted. Touka instantly turned on me, firing her kagune projectiles towards me in a storm of shards. The chitin in my sheild expanded, blocking all the colorful shards painlessly.

"Another attack and he'll feel it!" I shouted, pressing the blade harder against Kaneki's skin.

Tsukiyama gave a look of dismay, just what I had thought. Now I just had to play this off perfectly.

"Give us Ruby Rose!" I shouted. Tsukiyama looked both ways, swallowing harshly.

"I-I could never give up a young princess who needs protecting! I am the valiant knight!" He shouted, his voice containing just the tiniest bit of fear. I gave a sigh, he forced my hand. With a deep breath, I took back my sword

and stabbed it into his chest.


	11. Dice:Purée

Kaneki fell to the ground, choking as blood squirted from his chest, twitching violently. The crimson dripped slowly from my hands, a void feeling in my chest. Touka's eyes widened in a fury and sorrow, Tsukiyaka falling to his knees. With a soft moan, he crawled forward.

I raised my sword to Tsukiyama, a glare on my face.

"He'll live. A step closer and he won't."

The well dressed oddball's face stretched in an expression of fear. Kaneki groaned, pushing himself over to his back.

"I'm so... Going to get you back for this..."

"K-K-Kaneki!" The Gourmet yelped.

"Give us Ruby back!" I shouted.

"I can do nothing of the sort!" Yelled the purple haired man.

Pain proceeded to explode in my back as knives stabbed into them, slowing time to a crawl. I spun around as crimson floated in the air, seeing the girl that started all of this. With red eyes and a blue wing of fire, Ruby stood frightened but hostile.

Despite falling to the ground in a heap, the thought that entered my mind was something irrelevant entirely. Not to Ruby attacking me, or the fear of death, but rather her angelic blue wing, which curved around in an almost scythe like shape.

It wasn't a black sword, like I was given. Who's koukaku is this?

"G-Get away from Tsukiyama!" Ruby shouted.

"Ruby, its us! He's not a bad guy!" Touka's yelled. "Though he is a piece of shit."

"He stabbed Kaneki!" She said, swallowing nervously.

"Yeah, don't remind me. I'll get Shitty Jaune back for that."

"Jaune?" She asked in surprise.

Kaneki let out a groan as he stood, popping a finger and walking over to Tsukiyama.

"A-Are you alright, my dear Kaneki?" He asked.

"I'll be fine." He said, glancing down at his bloodied suit. Tsukiyama waved away the notion, silently forgiving him. God, the Ghoul world can be so... Weird sometimes.

"That's good to hear." He said, flipping his hair extravagantly.

"Sorry for the trouble. We'll be leaving now." Kaneki said, turning to leave. Touka observed silently, her expression one that spoke of how baffled she was.

"So soon? Can I not eat you yet?!" Sighed the Gourmet.

"Maybe one day soon." Kaneki said, turning to Ruby.

"Yang has been worried sick. You should return soon."

Ruby sighed, tapping her boot on the ground. Meanwhile, I twitched my arm and removed her projectiles from my back.

"I want to... Jaune, is that really you?"

"Yep!" I groaned, rolling to my back.

"I didn't recognize you... You looked like a total stranger." She said, breaking eye contact and turning red of embarrassment.

"My mom always told me strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. I guess you learned something else." I said, pulling myself up to a sitting position.

"Are you like Kaneki, then? A half-thingy?" She asked, putting away her wing. Her eyes changed from the threatening black and red back to their silver color.

"Yep, no more human food for me anymore. Cookies, hamburgers, bacon, you name it."

"I've always wanted to try cookies..." She sighed.

"Uck... Let's go, lovebirds." Touka said, flipping her hair. Kaneki gave a small smile, straightening his tie.

...

"Sis!" Yang said, hugging her sister. I'll admit, this was the first time I saw her not act like some kind of bouncer. Next thing you know, she'll be making puns all the time.

"Zwei were you gone so long?"

Oh God dammit.

"Thank you for retrieving Ruby, you three." Ozpin said, straightening his collar and sipping from his mug.

"No problemo." I said, giving a smile.

"Oh... I meant to tell you guys, Jaune, you especially." Ruby said. "When I was at MM, I met a Dove named Cardin."

"You met Cardin?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah. He was looking into the Rose murder cases, which have been assumed to be me. He thinks there were two other people, at least."

"Any idea on who?" Touka asked.

"Well, he had some theories. He went to

the morgue, and apparently the corpses were really suspicious up close. Like, the kills were overly messy."

"So a crazy did it?" Yang asked, causing her sister to shake her head.

"No, he said it looked forced, like someone trying to make it look nasty. The lack of anything like fingerprints and nail marks lead him to believe it was someone special."

"And..." Yang said, begging him to get to the point.

"The kills only marking was a rose. The only ghoul in the system that follows that rule besides me is James Ironwood, CEO of Atlas Inc."

"What?!" Touka yelled in surprise.

I knew of Atlas Inc. It was a tech company that made new machines, commonly for the CCG.

"Jaune, you don't know this yet, but when I had the surgery, I saw Ironwood operating on me. We believe Atlas Inc. supplies the CCG and other sources with their Ghoul anatomy knowledge." Kaneki said.

"He's in with Kanou?!" I said in surprise.

"Possibly. This means Kanou might be indirectly linked with the CCG." Ruby said. "And he gave me a warning in case a blonde named Jaune ever stopped by."

"Really? What was it?" I asked.

"The CCG is pursuing all Ghouls linked to the Black Dragon, including ghouls such as Eyepatch, The White Night, The Rabbit, and The Dragon, all of which were seen there."

"Shit..." Touka curses.

"Wait, I'm confused. Is Ironwood a ghoul?"

"Yes." Ruby said. "He was arrested a few years back for being a Ghoul. If Cardin's theory is right, the CCG might have faked it since he's more useful to them active and operating as the CEO."

"Well... Let's not worry ourselves now." Ozpin said. "We should get back to work."

After getting several silent nods, all but Kaneki and I left. He turned to me, leaning in and clearing his throat.

"I'd like you to examine more Ghoul corpses, if that's okay with you. What you discovered last time was impressive."

"I guess that should be fine."

"I acquired the corspe of a certain Ghoul. Their alias... Was the Binge Eater. She was slain by Arima." He said, shifting uncomfortably.

"I see. Why this one specifically?"

"She has a similar kagune to mine. It would be nice if you could find out something like you did last time. That... And her condition."

"Her condition?"

"Rize, the Binge Eater, is only technically dead. Her healing ability is unrivaled, to the point where even a beheading wouldn't kill her."

"Jeez, how'd she die, then?" I asked, leaning against the operating table.

"I am unaware, I wasn't there at the time. All I know is that despite being brain dead, her body is still very much alive, regenerating itself based on all the energy binge eating created. It likely won't last long, but I want you to take a look."

"Sure, lets go." I said. We walked down the stairs to the odd chamber, where the body rested beneath a plastic sheet. I stepped to the side, placing on an apron, gloves, and a surgical mask. I took out the mysterious toolbox, taking out a scalpel.

"Her skin won't let that knife in. Here, apply this." He said, handing me a syringe. I nodded, having studied Ghoul anatomy. I peeled back the wrapper to see the beautiful face of Rize, gracefully asleep. Even after studying her face,it was impossible to tell she had passed.

I lifted up her eyelid, applying the syringe to the area and pressing it in. With a sigh of success, I removed the cover to expose her bare body.

Kaneki sighed, glancing away momentarily.

I turned the light on and rolled her onto her back, placing my hand on her hip. With my breath held, I made a slight incision where the kagune would be.

It was there, in full mint condition. I stood as the tissue healed itself before my eyes, leaving only the smallest scar.

I moved and made another incision below the right shoulder place. I peeled back the skin, working my way down to examine the tissue. It mirrored that of a human, and there wasn't anything noteworthy. Taking away my hands, I watched as the wound slowly closed itself.

That's when I saw. The tissue created was different than before. I reopened the wound, having to apply more pressure to the blade than the first time. Taking a piece out, I sliced a small layer off and placed it under the microscope.

Little black dots, RC cells, were interwoven with the normal tissue, creating a different structure. It not only was tougher, but because of how it was woven it was harder to tear.

I returned to the corspe, intrigued. I flipped her over, taking my time as I opened her chest up. With no need for the patient, I removed the ribs for a full view.

What I saw astounded me. It looked like a spider laid a web of tissue throughout the body. Her heart, especially around the various chambers, were covered in muscle. Her lungs were stretched, and her diaphragm was larger than normal. Her arteries were wider than normal, and her stomach was stretched to a comical size. All in all, everything was bigger.

"Kaneki, did Rize ever experience any physical trama?" I asked.

"She had a building collapse on her. I know she broke several bones." He said, his eyes slightly unfocused. It was almost as if he was recalling the event himself. I chose not to open the topic up for discussion.

"Such as?"

"Uh... I believe it was her right arm." He said, holding his chin between his thumb and index in thought.

I moved to her arm, cutting it open. I cut through the tendons, glancing at the restored radius. The bone was rigid, indicating it had been broken, but had healed. Tissue surrounded the thick bone, confirming my thoughts.

I finally moved to her regenerating ribs, all of which were more condensed than normal.

"What is it?" He asked, his expression blank.

"If Rize's body is to be believed and I don't know if this applies to other ghouls, then this is big. Exercise, injury, and other physical trama seem to cause an improved regeneration. That is to say... Pain makes ghouls stronger."

He nodded, as if the answer made sense to him.

"Do you have a taser or something?" I asked. He shook his head.

"All these tools and you don't have a taser." I said, accepting I'd have to do something more makeshift. I grabbed the sharp metal poles used to hold open flesh and flipped Rize on her back, inserting them where her Kagune would be. I went over and grabbed jumper cables, as well as a car battery and gauge.

I made sure my gloves were rubber.

After that, I attached the cables to the battery and the poles, turning it on with the gauge. I slowly turned up the electricity as her body twitched slightly. Finally, her Kagune reacted to the correct voltage, popping out and falling on her back.

"Oh..." Kaneki said, slightly surprised by the sudden tendrils of red. I took out my own Kagune, taking off my sheild with the intention of comparing it to the section of her's. The remlflesh leaped to my black, wrapping around it and morphing it into a crude pointless shape.

"Amazing..." I said. "Her tissue damages the RC cell protein of the Kagune."

"It disables the other Kagune?"

"It might even control it, these tissue patterns are similar to when a wound regenerate. I think we found your Trump."

He gave a smile as I moved around the table near her head.

"By the way, how old was she?"

"I never asked, but she couldn't be any older than 20. Why?"

"There are these strands of white in her hair. I wondered if she was just a good looking, but quickly aging 30 year old. I assume then that the hair has to come from the stress of the physical trama." I said.

"I... See." He said, taking off his gloves. He had gotten ready to operate, and looked slightly disappointed that he didn't get a chance. Had I noticed sooner, I'd maybe have let him examine the once shattered radius.

Witha groan as i popped my back, I turned to see Touka walking down the stairs, leaning against the railing.

"What's up?"

"Ozpin wanted me to get you." She said, glancing at me with sick and annoyed eyes, not unlike a fish.

"Oh? To what do I owe the pleasure, princess?" I said stretching my arm over my head.

"Pyrrha's awake"

...

**A/N**

**Sorry for not updating! Between travelling (which I still am and will be for 20 more days) and finishing my fic Children of the Hunt, I've had no time. Good news is once CotH is over, this will be my main fic, which means a chapter or two a week**


	12. Rising:Strengthening

**A/N:**

**Sorry it took so long to update, school was off to a banging start. I also debated cancelling this series, but don't worry! I plan on finishing the many chapters I have planned, we are only scratching the surface. Especially with new developments in the manga, it really is giving me some creative ideas for the future. To say sorry, enjoy this slightly longer than normal chapter. I already have half of the next chapter done!**

I sat beside the bed, my hand holding hers. Pyrrha's gave a weak smile at my presence, but her eyes showed a pure joyful emotion that I couldn't put into words.

"Sorry I took so long to wake up."

I exhaled through my nose in amusement.

"I'm just glad you're okay. Sorry about the bite."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?" She said, laughing. Hinami gave a giggle as she took a glass of water to her lips, helping her drink.

"Pyrrha should be good to go, now that she's had her rest. Give her a bit to eat and get back her strength." She said, brushing back her short hair.

"She's been caring for me, apparently." Pyrrha said. "Isn't she just adorable?'

The young teenage girl's cheeks flushed red, her head downward to hide it.

"You have to let me braid that hair of yours some say. You'd look so cute with a little side braid." Pyrrha said, giving a giggle.

"I-I'd like that." She said, retreating out of the room.

"She seems nice." I said with a satisfied sigh. "Good to know you were in good care."

"Anything happen when I was asleep?"

"Uh... I got stabbed in the back, literally. Besides that, not much."

"Oh for Monty's sake, Jaune. This is the reason I stress. My hair's going to go white if you don't stop."

"I could say the same for you. What are you going to do now?"

"Well, I'm probably fired from my last job for skipping out on a week, though the pay was nothing to write home about. I suppose I could work here, if that's okay."

"I'm sure Ozpin will be thrilled to have e another employee, especially one who can actually gauge the quality of our food."

She rolled her eyes, sitting up. I moved my hands to help her, but she stopped me with a wave of her hand.

"I'll be coming with you on your Ghoul missions."

"I guess it's pointless trying to stop you." I said with a wry smile.

"I'll take a week off, though. I've had enough Ghoul until then."

"You have yourself a deal. Our next biggest threat is Cardin and the CCG, but they haven't made a move yet."

"Cardin's with the CCG... How does that not surprise me." She said, frowning.

"Yeah, it was surprising. He knows my identity, but so far has kept it secret. I'm not sure how long the trend will last."

"Well, your sisters and family don't live in Vale, right? They should be out of the CCG's influence. And even if they are, they'll test human."

"Either way, I'd prefer not to have my face plastered on the CCG's wanted list."

"Understandable." She said uncomfortably. "Let's hope Cardin remembers the fun childhood we had together."

"Pardon me for intruding, you two." Ozpin said, giving a small smile to the two of us. Pyrrha returned the notion, sitting up straight with her hands on her thighs. Her pinky grazed the side of my hand, causing me to feel a missed sense of familiarity. She had only been gone a few days, but they really felt longer than that.

"What's up, Ozpin?" I asked, turning to him.

"Well, I wanted to check on our special guest." He said, pulling out a chair on the opposite side of the bed. "Not too often do we have a human behinds the scenes."

"Thank you for all of your care. If you can, I'd like to do something special for Himani later, she really helped me." Pyrrha said, reminiscing about the young girl.

"Of course, of course." He said, waving away the notion. "Just be wary of Touka, she has a suppressed motherly instinct with her, and with you not being a ghoul, she might be a little protective."

"Thank you, I will." Pyrrha said.

"So what's really up?" I asked, leaning back in my chair. "You seem like a great guy, Ozpin, but I don't think this is a part of that personality."

He looked down amused, nodding and tapping his cane.

"You're more observant than people make you out to be, Jaune."

"I'll protect my team." I said, flashing a quick glance at the girl beside me. "Ozpin, why do you use a cane? I'd think you'd have healed yourself with your ghoul biology."

"Reasons, reasons. I'll go with it makes me look more discreet." He said.

"Oh, of course." I said, careful on my tone.

"I wish to inform you the fallout of the current state of Vale. You see, I fear we might be on the edge of... something, only a catalyst away from activation."

"I didn't take you for the paranoid type."

"Ah, of course. I still feel it's a natural state of mind, caring for one's safety, and the one he loves. Regardless, let me explain. Cardin supposedly is investigating a series of murders possibly arranged by Ironwood, who in turn might be working alongside Kanou. Between the two, they could easily control a city from the shadows. If Ironwood is also given the 'blind eye' treatment by the CCG, who is in turn working with the SDC, one may wonder how extensive this series of pseudo-alliances are."

"I see your logic." Pyrrha said, narrowing her eyes. Touka must have come in to explain the situation, I'll have to thank her later.

"I don't see the fear, then." I said, crossing my arms.

"When a country invades another country, some of the invaded country will defect to the other side to stay above water. I think it's the very same here. I think these ghouls are working with the CCG to develop their ultimatum, Humans versus Ghouls, no in between. In return, they would be the select few to live their lives in luxury."

"That's a bold assumption." I said.

"Though logical nonetheless." He said, finishing my thought. "While the CCG certainly hasn't worked with Ghouls to the same degree the police force might work with a gang to find drug labs, it certainly isn't alien to the concept."

"So you're declaring an all out war?" I said, scratching my chin.

"Maybe in the future. The Germans at the end of World War I said the peace treaty would only last 20 years, which was exactly how long it lasted. I say, that right now, we are on a path to a one sided genocide."

I sighed. So this was the inside of the head of Ozpin, who operated the cafe. A politician in the Ghoul World, certainly. Though as much as I'd like to write it off as a conspiracy, I can't help the itch it might be right, at least to some degree. How it would manifest, I'm not yet sure. I certainly don't think Vale would be warring in its streets against Ghouls.

"Let's skip the 'what's happening', and go straight to the 'what do you want me to do'. The latter usually tells more than the former." I said flatly.

"If you wish. I want to try to form a same network of alliances in the Ghoul World, at least somewhat."

I scoffed.

"I've been in the Ghoul World a short period of time, but it's pretty obvious people hate each other."

"I just want to be above water if this ship starts to sink." Ozpin said. "And it's not like I'm asking for anyone to die. In fact, just the opposite."

"What do you have in mind? With organizations like Aogiri, it's going to be hard. I don't think them annexing us is what you have in mind."

"No, definitely not. They have the very same ultimatum that the CCG has. I'm thinking about uniting the streets, first. Then work up the corruption ladder, if we still need to. I've spoken to Tsukiyama about this since you've come back. He seems fine with uniting the cafe and MM."

"They make eating humans an art, though."

"The total consumption of humans is very low, though. They eat very little, and are very picky. They actually eat less than we do."

"...Fine."

"I'm thinking on tackling the next biggest gang in the ward, next. White Fang would be a good target."

"The White Fang... huh... I don't know much about them, but the hated the Shifts, so that's a plus. Roman and his gang can go screw themselves."

"Yeah... they weren't that nice." Pyrrha added.

"I'll have you and Tsukiyama go in as negotiators, with Kaneki as a hidden backup. He'll sneak around and help if things turn ugly. Please don't let things turn ugly." He said, tapping his cane. His eyes turned black ever so slightly, not in intimidation, but more so in a semblance of uneasiness. This obviously meant something to him.

"Fine, I'll play pawn for now." I said, standing.

"Can I come too? I'm coming." Pyrrha said.

"But you sa-"

"I know what I said. I still have that P90, right? Q bullets can be bought from a gun retailer, so it's no biggie."

"T-That's expensive, Pyrrha. We don't have that cash."

"I... might be able to help you." Ozpin said, tapping his chin. "I don't believe at this point that the RC Cell trade with Kanou will work at this point. Likely his watchdogs have caught to some semblance of suspicion around it. We can sell them to the SDC."

"Well, alright then."

"I'll do so now. For now, just relax." He said, dawning on a hat and walking out the door.

"That was quick." Pyrrha said.

"I guess he really wants us to go, even if it means going to the SDC."

"Didn't he just say he was scared of the SDC for having a part in his illuminati or whatever?"

"I guess it's the lesser of two evils?" I said, shrugging. "I don't know, he's crazy."

"And we're not?" She said, giving a small smile. "You did take a chunch out of me."

"Yeah... sorry about that." I said, scratching at the back of my head.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I don't know, isn't it my thing to say sorry?" She said, causing me to chuckle.

"I still think you're Canadian." I said with a sigh.

"I'm pretty sure on my genetic background, Jaune. I'm as Greek as you are French."

"I'm French? Sacrebleu!" I said, causing her to giggle and roll her eyes.

"Either way, I think you confused 'eat me' and 'eat me out'."

My face burst red.

"Pyrrha!"

"Sorry, sorry." She said, bursting out into laughter. "I just haven't made you beet red in forever!"

"Jeez, that didn't seem like something you'd say at all." I said, standing up.

"Did I see the girl you asked out earlier? The black haired one, a little younger than us?"

"Oh, Ruby? Yeah." I said, placing my hands on my hips. "We actually just had to save her from a group called MM. Well, I say saved, but apparently she was fine."

"Typical you." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "So, Jaune, are you and her still dating?"

"I... no? No, definitely not. I think." I said, tapping my chin. "I did tell you she almost killed me, right?"

"Yep." Pyrrha said, blinking her eyes rapidly.

"W-What's that look for?"

"I've always been a shipper. Remember Nora and Ren from middle school? Shipped them, and look what happened."

"Ren..." I said, thinking back to the bartender at MM.

"Anyways, Ghoul and Human love prevails! Or something like that." She said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not sure it'd be Ghoul on Human relationship. After all, for all intents and purposes, I'm a Ghoul now." I said, causing her to wave away the notion. "By the way, Nora and Ren are Ghouls."

Her eyes stretched open in shock.

"What the hell?! Really?! They both were my best friends in middle school! I guess that explains why I haven't seen them since... Is everyone I know a Ghoul or what?"

"Something like that." I said, a knock coming on the door.

"Come in." Pyrrha said. Ruby came in with a glass of milk and cookies, a smile coming to the red haired girls face. "Speak of the devil, hello Ruby."

"H-Hello, Pyrrha. I guess Jaune introduced you to me." She said, shaking nervously. "I-I tried making you some cookies. I'm a Ghoul, so I don't know if they're good or not."

Pyrrha giggled, as if the girl reminded her of a slightly older Hinami. She took a cookie from the plate and bit into it, nodding in satisfaction.

"It's quite good." She said, taking the glass of milk. "Thank you."

"It's nothing." Ruby said, giving a smile. "I've always wanted to know what a cookie tastes like."

Pyrrha nodded, her smile melting into a bittersweet one. Her emerald green eyes lit up with just a spark of light, as if she had a devilish idea.

"Jaune, do tell, have you been honest with Ruby about your feelings?"

Both of us froze, our faces reddening.

"P-Pyrrha!"

"J-Jaune?" Ruby said, tilting her head. The fluster she was experiencing was humorous in a way, sad in another, and out of character too. "I-I know we went on a date and all, and I really enjoyed it, but I wasn't thinking straight! I'm sorry!"

Pyrrha bit her tongue to hold in a giggle as I spoke her thoughts.

"Oh, you weren't in your right mind when you dated me, that makes sense. I was confused for a sec."

Pyrrha covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers at my humiliation, patting me on the back.

"Don't worry, partner. Some day some girl will stay crazy long enough to get with you."

"Oh, Jaune, I didn't mean it like that..." Ruby said, sighing. "I'll leave you two be, I-I suppose."

Pyrrha sighed, pulling away the sheets and standing up. A long dress shirt, likely lent to her by Ozpin, hung over her shoulders. It hung extremely low, falling to her mid thighs, which was impressive considering how she wasn't exactly short.

"I'm going to get changed, then we're going to do some training." She said, crossing her arms.

"Training? What? You just woke up, you aren't in a position to be working out."

"No, not that type of training. I need to get used to fighting Ghouls. Text Ozpin to pick up some real bullets to use on you, since they shouldn't hurt you."

"P-Pyrrha, you're going to shoot me?!"

"Quite a lot, I think." She said, smiling. "Let's see how the volleyball city champion fairs against a rookie ghoul."

"You'll have a machine gun!"

"And you'll have some sort of pulsing flesh... ugh, I just realized how gross those things are." She said shaking her head.

"Well, I stand by the fact that you aren't fit to do this now." I said, standing tall. Pyrrha walked up to me and crossed her arms, looking up at me with narrowed eyes.

"Probably not, but I'll let the chips fall where they may. I thought you knew better than to try to stop me with these things, by now."

I sighed.

"Okay, fine."

"If you ever need help, just ask. I'll go slow for you." She said, grabbing her washed clothes and walking into the bathroom. I sighed, pulling out my scroll and texting Ozpin to get some real bullets. Pausing, I deleted the text and instead asked for a shotgun and some Q shells, it would be better fitted for disabling the ghoul, though worse for killing it. I walked downstairs, grabbing the P90 that she had strung around her back when I bit her, pulling back the cock and unloading the Q bullet clip.

It was scarily like a videogame, which might have been why Pyrrha took a liking to a weapon. She was never huge into shooters, but she enjoyed playing them with me.

Time passed and we headed down beneath the ground to the underground wards to practice. Touka gave Pyrrha a tracksuit to practice in.

"We'll have Uta whip you two something up, if you are joining us." Ozpin said, standing off to the side to observe the fight, and if needed, rush in to help the injured.

Pyrrha stood in her red suit, standing tall with shells attached to a leather belt, her eyes focused on me. She lifted her SPAS-12, loading in the black Q shell, which gleamed in the sunlight. Ozpin had to see an extremely illegal black market gun dealer to get it, but I guess that's just like walking down to the supermarket in the Ghoul World. That thing would cause immense damage to me.

I sighed, calling out my kagune. The black flesh wrapped around my arm, giving it the warmth of the organ.

"Fight!" Ozpin said, declaring the match.

I charged forward, Pyrrha flicking it to pump action mode and pointing it at me. I leaped to the side as the gun erupted in crimson red fire, the tile by my feet exploding in shrapnel of ceramic. I dashed back in a 'Z' formation, her arm pumping the gun and raising it before I could land in a strike.

I crossed my Koukaku across my chest as she fired, the spread of pellets tearing into the shield flesh of the Kagune. I let out a yelp of pain as I charged forward, swinging down at kicking at her feet. Pyrrha's eyes lit up as she jumped over my attack, landing on one foot and kicking upwards.

Bad move.

I grabbed her foot in my palms, twisting it and forcing her body to flip around her ankle. She spun around, landing on the group with a grunt of pain. I paused momentarily to see if she was alright, giving her just enough time to lift the shotgun and fire inches from me.

My shoulder erupted in blood, causing me to stumble back with a scream of pain. The sound frightened her, but her hands continued automatically like a robot. She flicked it onto semi automatic mode, firing two shots towards me.

I leaped back, flipping and slashing down with my kagune to block my face. Pellets grazed my leg, causing me to collapse as I hit the ground.

"Come on...!" I grunted, limping forward.I tore my Kagune from my shoulder, holding my flesh sword and shield in hand.

Pyrrha's eyes filled with fear, but not due to my weapon. She was out of bullets. With a visible swallow, she grabbed a shell from her belt and moved it towards her gun. I sprinted forward, sliding as she fit it in, pulled the gauge, and fired. The ground behind me exploded as I backhanded the dull side of my Kagune into her shotgun, pushing it back into her hip and throwing her back in the least painful way possible. I leaped up and slashed down as she stumbled in a frantic struggle, loading in another pebble and blasting a shot directly into my chest.

I flew back, rolling on the ground as my screams became wet with blood. Crimson pooled around me, flooding out of my mouth, as she loading in her next 7 shots.

"Jaune...?! Are you alright?! Is that enough?!" She said, lowering her shotgun and running to help. Ozpin only held up a hand, watching us silently.

I hit the ground with my fist, cursing and rising to a knee. My vision was a gray, with parts missing entirely. I could feel every pellet in my skin, and I could feel my flesh burning as it regenerated and spat them out.

"Interesting..." Ozpin said. "You have amazing regeneration for a Koukaku."

"Gah.." I groaned, standing and stumbling to the left.

"And your pain tolerance, too." He said, silencing himself once more.

"This isn't... helping... Pyrrha." I groaned.

"D-Don't worry, it's helping. Here I'll help. Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and and closer to the ground."

I nodded, lowering my stance, my chest still a soup of destroyed flesh.

"Keep it up, you're doing great!" She said, biting her lower lip as it quivered with concern.

"You know what else is great? Not getting shot with a shotgun at point blank range!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Whatever! Come on, hot stuff, let's see what you got!" I yelled, charging forward. I slashed down, cutting at her leg and leaving a hair of red on her thigh. She yelped, blasting her shotgun into my shield. With it being disconnected, it's pain receptors told me nothing, allowing me to hit down with the butt of my natural quinque. Pyrrha winced, swinging the stock of the shotgun into my head. I stumbled back, hitting her back with my shield.

She stumbled, firing from her hip. The majority of the blast it my sword, causing me to stumble back and fall.

"H...How are you doing? What's going through your head?" She panted, trying to stall me.

"Soul crushing regret." I groaned, pushing up to my feet and sprinting forward. She raised her gun, firing towards my neck. I fell to my knees, sliding beneath the cone of pellets, and hit the back of her knee with the edge of my shield. She buckled and fell onto the ground, my sword flipping in my hand and stabbing down.

Straight into the area next to her head.

"Just dropping in?" I said with a chuckle. Her scared expression turned into a light hearted one as she let out a laugh.

"Okay... and that's just one Ghoul..." she said, wincing as she saw my chest. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, seriously. Look!" I said, tapping on the skin as it fell in a bloody heap, my tissue frantically repairing itself. She shook her head, disgusted, as I helped her up. In turn, she threw my arm around her shoulder, Ozpin giving a small clap.

"My, my, that's certainly an intense training routine. I can't say Touka and Kaneki go that far."

I flopped to the floor.

"Tell me about it."


	13. Paranoia:-----

I cleared my throat, lowering my head in my cubicle to avoid Akira's gaze.

It felt silly because I wasn't comfortable here, anymore. The discovery I had about Ironwood had me questioning things. What really was the CCG's purpose? To keep it's citizens safe seemed like a good answer. To prosecute Ghouls seemed like another. But really, what did that specify? What crimes were they committing?

This seemed odd, of course Ghouls were monsters needed to be jailed, or if necessary, killed. My Granddad died to a Ghoul, I should hate them.

But Jaune wasn't a bad kid.

And why would the CCG WORK with the Ghouls!? For the greater good? What is the greater good, here? For every ghoul to be jailed away? What would we do then? Oppress an entire species? What happens if they get loose? Do we exterminate them? Kill intelligent beings? What are we fighting for, here? What is the goal of the CCG? Is it just an organization, using Ghoul hunting as a way to earn profits and stay afloat in this economy? Is that it? What did the founder of the CCG dream of?

What is the Ghoul's final goal? What do I want? What is this world going to become!?

I typed this into my computer, giving a detailed report about what I felt. My suspicions, my evidence, my fears, and my paranoia. I threw in everything, and saved the file. I encrypted it, put a lock on it, and buried it under a different profile, and hid it deep in the computer's files.

I set the needed username to: Thewhitenight

Password: Jaunearc

I grasped my chin, logging back in under my profile. I almost felt putting it on a flash drive would work better, but then anyone could find it and open it. This way would be better.

"Hey, what are you up to?" Akira asked, leaning over my cubicle.

I switched tabs to a flash game, jumping.

"Gaming on the job? I told you, we need the reports on the Black Dragon Club."

"I typed them, I typed them." I groaned. "We have official evidence linking them to the White Fang gang, so they should be our next target. We need to capture their leader, Black Cat."

"Ah, so that's the conclusion the upper levels have decided on, interesting. I'm assuming you'll be on the front lines?"

"That's what it looks like."

"How you feeling, are you nervous?" She asked.

"No, but I got this disgusting rash on my back, so that's happening."

"Ew, TMI. Tell a doctor, not me."

"I probably will, after the operation." I said. It wasn't exactly a lie. I did have a rash, though it probably was nothing. I just needed an excuse to see the doctor. I'm hoping for two things. One, I can bribe him to falsify the medical report and say it was cancerous, getting me off of work. The other was to see if I could gather info on Jaune. From what I could tell, the city's college has all its medical students intern there, so Jaune probably participated in that program. Any reports on him, especially medical, could be helpful.

Akira proceeded to spring the bad news I had been hoping she'd hold off on

"Read that pamphlet I gave you?"

It was about an operation. Not a 'mission' operation, but a 'surgery' operation. Called the 'Q' Surgery, it would place a kagune within a quinque cage, and implant it within me. I would become a Ghoul, nearly. They would be a new type of investigator, able to truly go undercover into the Ghoul world.

"I have." I said, swallowing.

"And? The rest of your squad has agreed."

"Arima?"

"Well..." She said, shifting her look away. "Not yet."

"Akira, I will state this now. I will never become a ghoul."

"It's not like that, Cardin. You'd be able to eat human food, since you'd be below the RC Cell count considered a ghoul. You'd technically still be human, you'd just be able to use a kagune."

"No." I said firmly.

"Please, Cardin. We need recruits to do this."

She wasn't going to give up, and this would cause problems.

"After this operation, okay? Give me more time to think."

She sighed, tapping the wall of the cubicle.

"Of course. I understand this has to be a hard choice for you."

"Thank you, Akira." I said, leaning back. She sighed, brushing her hand through her shoulder length hair and walking away. I bit my lower lip, turning to my computer and pulling up the file to update it to the situation.

I felt sick in my stomach, I had to calm down. I was working myself up for nothing. The CCG might not be the best method for the Ghoul problem, but that didn't mean I had to fear anything. It's working for now, and that's fine. I'd keep my mind open, but look close enough, and anything looks weird.

I stood up, tapping my foot and walking over to a co worker. He walked down the hall, a pack of cigarettes in his coat pocket.

"Mind if I have a smoke?" I asked. He nodded, handing me one.

"Didn't take you for the type."

"I'm surprising, I know." I said, walking outside to Shinohara.

"I'm taking a smoking break, I'll be back in a few."

He gave a look of surprise, but said nothing.

I went behind the building, dropping the unlit cig and crushing it under my boot. I dropped my suitcase, pulling out my quinque. I took a seat on the old thrown out office chair, the dumpster right beside me.

I held it up, the teeth gleaming in the light of the blue sky. I activated it, causing the teeth to whir into the familiar buzz of the chainsaw kagune.

I slashed down, and raised the sword up.

I slashed down, and raised the sword up.

I slashed down, and raised the sword up.

I slashed down, and raised the sword up.

After 100 slashes, I placed the sword away. My heart had calmed its beating, and I went back inside. Exercise had always been a good way for me to get my head back into the game. I remember Jaune thinking it was weird, when we were young. It aggravated me, and I took that out on him.

I sat back in my chair, sipping from my cup of coffee and leaning back.

"Hey, it's Cardin."

I turned to the voice, seeing Neptune and Weiss walking by. Neptune pulled up a seat, sitting on it and placing his arms on the back of the chair.

"What's up, man? Haven't seen you since CCG initiation."

"Neptune, our squad is needed elsewhere." Weiss groaned.

"Oh, whatever. Not for another half an hour. Take a seat, ice princess."

"I hate when you call me that."

"That's why I call you that." He said, rolling his eyes as she pulled up a chair.

"Whatcha working on?"

"The Black Dragon Club, and linking them to the White Fang gang." I said, shrugging. "Boring shit."

"Boring? Dude, you're on the main investigation!" Neptune shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "That's fucking awesome. My squad and I aren't, right now. I'm helping my buddy Sun out. We're doing some private investigation right now, it's really boring and creepy."

Weiss nodded, giving a look of surprise that she agreed with him.

"We are impeaching on privacy sometimes, and it is rather uncomfortable."

"Who are your guy's targets, so far?"

"Gah, stupid crap. One's some dude named Qrow Brahwen. Seems like an old fart. The other is some college kid, don't even remember his name."

"Who is the college kid?" I said, adrenaline suddenly flooding into my system.

"Some kid named Sage."

I relaxed a little.

"Sun's investigating a woman named Glynda Goodwitch. I envy him, he gets to watch some hot woman take showers."

"Disgusting." Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"Hey, I'm just making an observation, it's my job."

"That doesn't mean there aren't boundaries that you can overstep." She said with a sigh. "Anyways, Akira just delivered the news that you aren't getting the Q surgery. We thought we'd talk to you about it."

"Not doing it."

Weiss gave a 'hmpf', Neptune giving a similar grunt.

"If you don't do it, we won't have a full squad, which means less pay for all of us." Weiss noted.

"We're mostly based on bounty, not salary. You'll live." I said, waving away the notion. "Enjoy your six figures and don't get greedy."

Weiss gave a look of offense, but I gave a yawn and leaned back, closing my eyes.

"Hey! This is a serious issue!"

"I'm sure it is, ice queen."

"Look what you did, Neptune! Now he's using that name!"

Neptune gave a smirk, shrugging.

"If he doesn't want to, we can't force him. After all, it's not like its a small choice." He said, standing up. "Let's go to the cafeteria. I'm starving."

"Fine." Weiss said, placing her hands on her hips.

I sighed, standing up and popping my back. Taking my coffee cup in hand, I walked over to the break room to grab a fresh mug. I probably already had too much, and it was already later in the day, but whatever. I probably was going to stay up all night anyways.

Arima stepped forward, filling up his cup silently.

"You turned down the Q surgery." I said, still glancing at my coffee.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You know."

I paused, slowly moving my gaze to him for a moment. He stared at the coffee maker with no signs of life in his eyes, as if I wasn't beside him.

"Do I?"

"Yes."

I nodded silently, stirring my cup slowly.

"Are you scared?" I asked.

He was quiet for a good few seconds, his gaze still passing through me.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You know."

"Is it that bad?"

"Yes."

I bit my lower lip, tapping the table.

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"Nothing. Keep your head down... and your mouth zipped..."

I scratched at my chin.

"Follow your instincts." Arima said suddenly. "So far you have exceeded my expectations."

"You're watching?"

"I'm not the only one."

I swallowed harshly, testing the coffee with a small sip.

"Cardin..." He said, turning towards the door. "There are few who are gifted the ability or power to change things. I hope you know that."

"I do."

"Good." He said, walking and opening the door. "We all have out pets. Train them, and use them." He said finally, walking out the door.

I let out a shaking breath. Goosebumps littered my skin as my hair stood on end, a shiver going down my spine.

The God of Death was afraid.

I immediately left the CCG. I told Akira that I'd get the rash examined now. After going to te bank and pulling out as much money as I could in cash, I went to the hospital.

"Hello, welcome to St. Ikasas, how may I help you?"

"Uh... Cardin Winchester. I have a rash I'd like to get checked out."

"Alright, sir. Just take a seat over there, and I'll have a doctor be right with you."

I slopped down on the couch, breathing into my hands. Unbuttoning the top button of my jacket, I loosened my tie and undid the collar.

What did Arima mean? I feel like, in some ways, he was crystal clear, yet in others, I completely missed his meaning. At the same time, the overall message was completely clear.

"Mr. Winchester."

I stood, walking into the office.

The nurse lead me into a white room, the doctor entering. He was a little on the older side, but looked good for his age.

"Please take a seat, Mr. Winchester, I'll be your doctor today. What seems to be the problem?"

I sat down, stripping off my jacket and dress shirt as I explained.

"Just a rash I wanted to examine, Dr...?"

"Kanou." He said with a smile, walking towards me. "Turn around."

I did as he said, letting him see my bare back.

"Hmm, seems nasty. Let me take a look. Probably just a skin condition, but we'll see. If so, I'll just prescribe some cream and you'll de on your way, Investigator."

I nodded.

"I'm going to ask you to breathe in real quick, nice and slow." He said, placing the cool meal of te stethoscope on my back. I did as he asked, slowing my breathing. The doctor nodded, taking off the equipment and putting on his gloves.

"I'm going to ask you some questions, alright?"

"Sure."

"They'll seem random, but it's just what I'm told to do." He said, gently touching the rash. "What's seven times ten?"

"What?"

"Answer, please."

"I'm confused."

"I know, just do it please."

"Uh... si- no seventy"

"What's sixty seven plus ten."

"Ei- si- seventy ei- seventy seven."

"What's one thousand minus seven?"

"One thousand...? Minus... Nine hundred... and uh... Ninety... three."

"Can I ask your level of education."

"Uh... College. Kamii University. I originally wanted to become a engineer, maybe design cars and stuff. Scrapped the idea before it came into fruition and when into the CCG."

"So you're rather smart then?"

"I mean... I guess. I guess I haven't done math in a bit... haha." I said, giving an awkward laugh.

"How has your stool been?"

"Um... loose, but I have Crohn's Disease." I said, flushing red out of embarrassment.

"Have you had any stomach aches lately?"

"Uh... I mean the CCG had a stomach bug going around the last week. Juuzo had to take a few days off- oh, you don't know him. A few co workers had to stay home."

"Mhm, Mhm." He said, scribbling down on his paper.

"Can I ask you some questions, now?"

"Oh, am I helping in an investigation? I hope I get compensation."

"You're a doctor, you make plenty."

He gave a chuckle, shrugging.

"Anyways, fire away."

"Have you heard of a guy named Jaune Arc?"

"Hmm? I think so, why?"

"I'm just assigned to investigate him. It's probably nothing, but y'know, orders."

"Of course." He said. "I think Jaune was a student in the duel enrollment program, though I think he was in a different ward of the hospital than I was. He was practicing to become a surgeon... let me see what type..." Kanou said, turning and typing into his laptop.

"Ah, here it is. Heart surgeon, primarily. He was good, too. Nearly a perfect score."

"Does he have files?"

"Yeah, he attending here a few times as a patient. I'll print off them for you." He said, the printer whirring to life. The doctor stood up straight, putting his hand into the pocket of his coat. "Now for your diagnosis. I'll need to take a blood sample real quick, but I more or less can pin down what it is."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's certainly not bacteria." He said, thinking out loud. "Anyways, usually you have to register and fill out paperwork for a blood test, but we have a different service. Just sign here, and I'll take your blood real quick. It'll still be a week until I get the results back."

"...Alright..." I said, filling out the form. I held out my arm as the doctor tied a rubber band on my bicep, cleaning the inside of my elbow. He reached into his drawer, taking out a vile, tube, and a fresh needle.

"You aren't scared of needles, are you?"

"Nope."

He pressed it into my skin, taking out two vials of blood and pressing a ball of cotton onto the entry hole.

"There we go! So where was I... oh yes, you're diagnosis-"

"About that." I said, interrupting him. "I know this is... uh... not exactly considered okay, but I need you to misdiagnose me. I need to get out of work. Say it's skin cancer or something."

His eyes widened as his lips curled downwards.

"I like my medical license, I'd prefer not to lose it."

"I can pay you."

"Mr. Winchester..." He said, trailing off. "I can't."

"You said you wanted to be compensated for participating in a investigation, right?"

He gave a small chuckle, looking down.

"Fine. I'll find a diagnosis to get you out of work."

"My man." I said, handing him my bag. Kanou took a look inside and nodded, placing it in the cabinet above the sink.

"So... what do I need to take to get rid of this rash?"

"Well, I'll need to confirm it with the blood test before I can legally give you anything."

"Legality isn't really an issue."

"I know, but some of these medications could kill you if I'm not careful, or at least really hurt your liver. No reason to do that, you'll never drink again. I'm not even sure if we got what I'd need to prescribe in stock, so just come back in a week and I'll give you everything you need."

"Thanks, Doc."

"It's no problem." He said, shaking my hand. I stepped outside, grabbing my scroll from my pocket.

5 Unread messages.

I clicked on the messaging icon, bringing up my texts.

[Juuzo]

Ewwwwww! Take a look at what I just upchucked!

"Gross" I said, deleting the attached picture.

[Weiss]

Akira wants you

Says to hurry up, mission is going to start

You're on vanguard again, taking Arima's place. GL

[Akira]

Return to HQ ASAP, the next mission is in it's beginning stages.

Scrap that. Meet us on Serpent Street. We'll group up and attack the target from there.

I sighed.

No rest for the wicked.


	14. New:World

I pulled the strap on my mask, my left eye glowing black. Tsukiyama stood beside me, standing tall in his purple suit. He dawned on his crescent moon mask, on the off chance this went bad. In completely silence, as the snow slowly fell, he tapped on the iron door with the back of his hand, his knuckles rattling the rusty metal.

Kaneki hid in the corner of my eye, on top of a roof top. He stood out more than I'd like, in the bright light of day.

Pyrrha walked up, pulling the pump of her shotgun and resting it on her hip.

Uta spared no expense, he had completely designed Pyrrha and I's outfits. He had given me a black jumpsuit to wear, which had a fabric that would cover my neck and be held in place by the tightened white mask I wore. On top I wore a standing collar jacket, one sleeve of which was longer than the other. The shorter sleeve had horizontal stripes sliced into the fabric, exposing my scars that I had received form my fights. Ghoul's may heal, but the healed section still develops scar tissue.

I wore long black jeans, a belt hanging low over them.

Pyrrha wore a completely skin tight black jumpsuit, her hair put up into a bun. Her mask was of a clownish face, with a large teeth imbedded mouth and large black eyes that would be at home on a plague doctor mask. Intricate snakes the color of her hair came from the tip of the mask, blurring where the mask began and ended.

Her body was decorated with Q shells, along with a glock and some Q clips.

I summoned my kagune, just in case. It wouldn't be considered rude, as supposedly the Cat likes to keep her kagune active, much like Uta keeps his eyes black.

The black flesh gained a slight hue of blue and red in the daylight. I supposed I never fought in the light, just in the dark, or poorly lit clubs or warehouses. The flesh seemed far more beautiful out here, as what was once an onyx blob now seemed like a colorful piece of art.

The door slowly opened, revealing at least thirty masked ghouls. We slowly walked in, the large gate closing behind us. In the middle of the rim, lit by a hole in the ceiling, a familiar duo met my gaze. 'Crimson' and 'Cat', as they were called, stood in front of us, each with their kagunes drawn.

"Who are you? Uta informed us of your approach." The woman named 'Cat' said, her long black hair flowing past her shoulders.

"Just some people from MM and the coffee shop, Anteiku."

"Just? There is no 'just'. State your purpose, this is our territory." Crimson said, his claw wrapped around his arm.

"We want to form an alliance." I said. Pyrrha was standing so still I wondered if she was a statue. Was it out of fear, or just the opposite? My heart was certainly pounding, way too fast.

"There's no way the White Fang would ally with some coffee chop and some dude who has his head so far up his ass he thinks eating is a delicacy." Cat said, crossing her arms as red tendrils slithering around her.

"Wait..." Crimson said, holding up his hand. The man tilted back his head, taking a whiff of the air. "The blonde one smells familiar."

"You met me when I worked with the Shifts. I'm passed that now, I'll even help you swallow their territory if you want." I said, holding out my hand.

"No, not what I mean." He said, brushing me off and leaning in to whisper in Cat's ear.

"They did say they were from Anteiku..." Cat whispered.

"No, that wouldn't explain it... I mean, look at him... Isn't it too..." I only picked up bits and pieces. I suppose my Ghoul transformation had amplified my hearing versus my smell, but they still were speaking far too low.

"State your demands, my dear brothers in ghoulishness. As head of the Tsukiyama family and leader of MM, I promise they will be met."

They stayed silent for a second, as if tempted, yet thoughtful.

"Why do you need our alliance? We haven't threatened your territory."

"Of course not! Why, that's exactly why we must bond!" Tsukiyama said. "Your men have proven their vigor and resilience. I wish for them only to protect us in times of war, and in turn, we would do the same."

"What could your group to do protect us?"

"Why, MM has a man by the name of Scrapper. I assure you, if needed, he would be a viable asset for times of war. Atop of that, while my bureaucrats tend to stay above the glass ceiling feeding on the highest quality meet, someone's one simply craves for a more... primal meal. I can guarantee their participation."

"And you, blondie?" Cat spat.

"Our group has some of the more talented fighters of the ward, excluding your team. Our coffee shop is closer to the Dove's area of influence than your warehouse is, so we would act as a shield and vanguard in times of need. We'd also make you guys some damn good coffee."

A girl stepped from the crowd, tilting her head with an interested look. Her face was wrapped in medical tape, and a purple hood pulled above her head. She stood out among the group of gray visor wearing troops, but said nothing.

"Who's that?" Cat said, motioning to Pyrrha.

She raised the shotgun, firing it into the air. Everyone flinched as she pumped the gun, the empty shell flinging out and making a clinking sound against the hard floor.

"You can call me Rogue, I'm a mercenary. I like blasting ghoul's and dove's heads out, since my Kagune was damaged when I was young by a piece of shit dove."

I swallowed harshly, impressed by the tone she gave. It felt legitimate.

"What are you doing?"

"Just protecting the money. I was told you'd be under my protection if the deal went through."

"Us, under your protection? Are you belittling us?"

"'Course not. That said, it's always nice to have someone take a bullet for you, right?"

They looked at each other, as if thinking.

"You don't really offer much, but at the same time, you're territory is valuable, your assistance and familiarity with the Shifts could be useful, and I'll admit I'd like to have a cup of coffee in the morning." Crimson said. "I'm Adam Taurus, and this is Blake Belladonna. Welcome to the White Fang."

I gave a sigh of relief, glancing up into the hole in the ceiling. Kaneki gave me a thumbs up, cracking his index finger with his other hand.

Time slowed.

My ears pounded.

Steps. Steps, steps, steps. So many steps.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed the girl in tape and the purple hood vanish into the hood.

With my hearing, a small giggle left her covered lips.

Steps surrounded the warehouse. I could hear them. I could feel them. My heart pounded, yet despite it pulsing in my eardrums, I could hear every movement.

Each of the windows. They were outside the windows.

Kaneki's knuckles cracked. Why was he cracking them?

Why was there a ticking by the left wall?

"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!" I shouted, hitting the deck.

Fire erupted as the left wall exploded, the windows shattering as men leaped inside. Screaming erupted in the warehouse as SWAT troops leaped inside, firing Q bullets into the crowd.

Kaneki leaped from the ceiling, his tendrils wrapping around a troop and throwing him forward. The armored man skidded onto the ground, meeting the boot of a man in white to stop his sliding.

The man looked up, brushing back his brown hair. It was Cardin.

"Take the named ghouls alive!"

Pyrrha froze in fear, Tsukiyama giving a small smile. His sword spiraled out of his back and around his arm as his hand rested on his face.

"Dearest me... I guess my suit will be getting dirty again."

Pyrrha stood stiff, a look of horror likely resting beneath her mask. She took a frightened step back as an investigator charged at her, swinging her sword down.

"Akira! Stay focused on the named targets!" Cardin shouted.

"I got this!" She screamed back. Pyrrha leaped back, aiming her gun and firing. A crack exploded in the air as the investigator thrust down her whip quinque, smacking the shell out of the air.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Cardin shouted, drawing his chainsaw sword.

"I could ask the same!"

"I have to kill you now!" Cardin yelled, as if put into a rage by my presence. I charged forward, slashing down with my claw. His sword moved to intercept, locking with my kagune in a show of sparks and blended gore. I grabbed his arms with my left hand and thrust it to the side, kneeing him in the stomach.

He choked and buckled over as I thrust my kagune covered elbow down, knocking him to the floor. He rolled over as I stabbed my sword into the ground, rolling up to his feet and slashing downwards.

I removed my shield and blocked the attack, the sword still attached to my arm.

"A removable Kagune, huh?" He said, giving a war cry and charging in. His sword came horizontally from my right, causing my vision to sharpen as the adrenaline finally kicked in. I jumped up and pulled my legs to my chest, spinning around and hitting him in the cheekbone with the edge of my shield.

He stumbled back as I detached my sword section, holding it forward in my hand.

"Come and get me!" I shouted. Cardin gave a roar and came barreling forward, as if to tackle me. I sprinted forward, stepping on the back of his head and kickflipping off. As I spun, my lower boot met his nose and thrust his head back.

His nose cracked as blood poured out of his nostrils.

"Bastard!" He shouted, slashing upwards and to the side. I let out a scream as the blade met my side, tearing away at my flesh. I punched him with my shield, stammering back as blood poured from the open wound.

He charged forward, swinging his sword horizontally once more. I sprinted forward and ducked underneath, slashing away at the side of his leg and missing the tendon.

He winced, spinning around and slicing the sword up. The chainsaw tore into the side of my arm as I pulled it up out of the way, skinning it with a flood of crimson. I winced, spinning and slashing down with my sword. He leaped back and blocked it with his own blade, letting out another show of sparks and gore.

Pyrrha brought the stock of her shotgun into the investigator's temple, causing her to stumble in a drunken stupor. She brought her SPAS-12 up, firing. The gun exploded as the investigator dropped low to the ground, kicking her feet out from underneath her.

Pyrrha fell to the ground as she pulled the gauge on her shotgun, Akira going in for the kill. She stabbed downwards, the blade entering the coil of Tsukiyama's Kagune.

Akira turned to the man as he suddenly appeared beside her, a look of surprise on her face. The Gourmet wrapped his spare hand around her throat, lifting her into the air.

"Oh, Mademoiselle... I don't take kindly to you hurting such a beautiful platter such as her..." He said, throwing her across and slashing into her back midair. She let out a scream as she hit the floor with a roll, pushing herself up with a slight stumble.

I leaped back, Cardin giving a huff of exhaustion.

**========WhoWasShe==============**

My vision blurred slightly, my limbs feeling weak. How long had it been since I ate? It couldn't have been more than a week...

**===ThatLook======ThatLaugh=========**

**======Who===are======we?========**

**=A===Rose==WasNot===TheSource======**

**====What====Did====He====FeedMe?==**

I let out a low pitched growl, as Cardin's scent entered my nostrils. The blood, the gore, it was all too much. I was being overwhelmed with a new type of sensory. It was fantastic.

He looked so tasty.

I wanted to eat him.

We should eat him.

Despite the weakness, my limbs moved with new energy as hunger forced my hand. I charged forward and slashed down into his shoulder. He let out a scream as the blade sliced inside with a spray of blood. He recoiled back, slashing up with his sword.

And there it went.

My arm.

Floating through the air.

My shield, clattering on the floor.

My screams, echoing through the warehouse.

Pyrrha's yelling in horror.

I felt my world go gray as I fell to my knees, blood squirting from the wound. With my breathe slowly leaving my chest in a moan, I flopped to the floor. Cardin let out a groan, which was muffled as I slowly lost my grip on reality. He grabbed his wound, limping over to me and raising his sword for the final blow.

**==========Why=====Are====We=====**

**===I'm===Not====Hungry====So=======**

**=====Why=====Do===I===feel===So...===**

**=======God====Save===Me===========**

**====I====Don't======Want===ToDie!====**

Red tendrils wrapped around Cardin's arm and leg, a look of shock entering his face. Every muscle stretched into a look of horror as the tentacles tightened, a scream escaping his throat. His arm tore off with a spill of blood, tissue, and shattered bone, his leg cracking as his femur jutted out of his thigh.

The tendrils threw him to the side, my savior standing over me.

My angel stood there, hair white, cloak black, with his one black and red eye staring down at me.

_Kckkk_...

"Help..." I whispered, dying.

_Kckk_...

"I... couldn't...kill...him." I choked, blood spilling from my lip.

"You want to be stronger?" He said, squatting down. My gaze flickered around the room, to the piles of bodies.

Akira charged forward, slashing at Pyrrha.

She pressed against a wall, firing her shotgun.

Akira ducked under the blast, slashing at her neck.

She ducked, the quinque slicing through the pillar and cutting it in two.

With a groan, the pillar and the section of the roof it held up came tumbling down, crushing Pyrrha.

My throat caught, tears entering my eyes. Her hand hung out of the pile of rubble, her fingers twisted the wrong way. Her ring finger had fallen off, and blood was slowly spilling down her arm.

"Yes... stronger..." I said, my voice cutting out.

The girl stood in the doorway, her hands behind her back. Behind her seemed to stand a red forest, as Ruby slowly hugged the girl from behind.

"**Give in, Jaune."**

**"Die."**

**"Just let go."**

**"Are you going to take it like this?"**

Kaneki grabbed my leg, dragging me away from the forest. I reached my hand towards the girl, Kaneki giving what I assumed to be my hallucination a glare.

I scratched at the ground, letting out childish and weak sounds of dismay.

"Let...Help..."

"I'll make you stronger, Jaune. Don't worry. Nobody I care about will get hurt like this again... in a way." Kaneki said, popping his knuckle.

"Please..." I whimpered, reaching towards Pyrrha's pile.

The girl gave a smile, as Ruby stood behind her. They opened their eyes in unison, as one of the eyes of the bandaged girl glowed a bright red.

**"The One Eyed Owl..."**

**"The One Eyed Owl..."**

**"The One Eyed Owl..."**

I gasped and choked as Kaneki reached down and thrust me over his shoulder.

"Ignore them for now, Jaune." Kaneki said, stepping on Cardin's damaged body.

"I'll give you strength."


	15. Ghoul:Human

I slowly opened my eyes.

The world was upside down.

My vision was blurry. I blinked rapidly, a familiar yet still chilling location met my eyes. It was Kaneki's basement, and I appeared to be hung upside down.

In front of me, working with a box of tools, stood Kaneki.

"Hhaaaa..." I croaked. My throat was as dry as a desert

Kaneki's head turned slightly, his mask giving a toothy smile.

_Kcck_...

"You're awake, Jaune."

I blinked rapidly, looking around me. I was hung upside down by my feet, chains wrapped around me to the point to the point I couldn't move a muscle, even as a Ghoul.

"Where... Where am I, Kaneki?"

"Anteiku."

"Where is everyone?"

"The Doves were put on high alert in this ward after our little stunt. Our staff had to flee to a backup location Ozpin set up. They won't be back for a long... long time." He said, turning to face me. In his hands rested a surgical syringe, the very same I used to disable Rize's regeneration.

"Kaneki... What are you doing?"

"I'm going to make you stronger, Jaune. If I can't protect everyone, I'll give everyone the strength they need to protect themselves." He said, popping a knuckle.

"K-Kaneki?!" I said, my voice gaining a tone of fear. I tried to activate my Kagune, but nothing came. With a grunt of horror, I looked up to find a red blob on my shoulder.

"W-What is this?!"

"My Kagune." Kaneki said with a smile, or so it seemed. "You taught me it could disable a Kagune, but it looks like I can ever prevent it from activating. You are defenseless."

"What the hell are you doing to do?!"

He walked closer, squatting down to look into my eyes. His hand touched my cheek, the needle of the syringe resting on my brow.

"You said it yourself, Jaune. Pain makes a Ghoul stronger."

My eyes shot open in terror as I shook violently, trying to free myself. He frowned behind the mask, wrapping his hand around my neck and aiming the syringe.

"Hold still, I might miss." He said. I let out a scream as he plunged the needle into my eye, injecting the mixture into me.

"Now we can begin!" Kaneki said, clapping his hands together. "Tell me, Jaune. What's 1000-7?"

He grabbed a scalpel, squatting down again.

"P-Please!"

"What. is. 1000-7?"

"Kaneki!" I shouted. Kaneki growled, slashing at my neck with the knife. I let out a choking gag as blood sprayed out in front of me, pooling below me. My body convulsed as all the life of my body sprayed out, pooling at the bottom.

I should have blacked out. I should have blacked out. But I still regenerated fast enough to give my brain enough oxygen through the poorly healed arteries to stay conscious.

I hung limp, unable to move, and so cold. My skin was visibly whiter than snow, as my body went numb.

Kaneki nodded, taking his clamp and grabbing my hand from through the chains. I let out a weak yelp as he tore off my fingernail, the pain shooting through me like lightning. Even with my body so numb, I could still feel every ounce of pure, unfiltered pain.

I couldn't even scream with my throat sliced open.

**========OH======GOD=========PLEASE====**

**====NO=====NO========NO=======FUCK===**

**=======GET=====AWAY=======GET==AWAY===**

He tore another nail off, my body shaking violently. Another nail, and another nail, and other nail. Each time he would ask me, 'what's 1000-7'

Finally my throat healed enough to let out a horrible scream.

"What is the answer, Jaune?!" He shouted, tearing off a toenail.

"GAH! _FUCK_!" I screamed. "IT'S... It's... Nine hundred... and... Ninety... three"

He smiled, squatting down and grabbing my chin.

"Good, good. Now what's that minus 7?"

"P-Please..."

"Answer!"

"J-Just let me go, Kaneki, just let me go... I won't fail you again!"

He let out a roar, forcing my mouth open. His clamp wrapped around my molar as he tore it from my mouth, a scream tearing its way from my throat.

"Tell me, Jaune!" He shouted.

I spat the blood from my mouth, tears welling in my eyes.

"Nine hundred... and eighty six." I moaned, blood dripping into the pool below.

"Good, Jaune." He said, tearing the final toenail out.

"F-Fuck... D...Dammit..."

"Keep going."

"Nine hundred... and seventy nine..." I said, my tear running down my brow and into my upside down hairline.

"Kaneki... Where's Pyrrha..."

He said nothing, grabbing a jar of honey. He walked over to the wall, opening the window. We were in a basement, but a hole had been dug to allow some sunlight through.

He walked over, grabbing a knife and spreading the honey on my body.

_"Kaneki... where's Pyrrha?!"_

"She's gone."

The words hit me hard, my stomach's contents almost falling into my mouth. I let out a groan, shaking my head in horror.

"No... _no_... God, why?"

"This honey... It attracts the flies. Soon, they'll be eating your body, and laying eggs inside. Their maggots will eat you alive, Jaune."

"Why?"

"You know why, Jaune." He said, spreading it on my stomach. "I want to help you."

"T-This isn't helping!"

"It's okay that you don't know what's good for you. I do."

He gave a smile, taking a tool out from a boiling pot.

"W-What's that?!"

"A dripper, at least that's what I call it. You fill it with burning oil, and drip it on the person."

"Kaneki!"

He sat down beside me, holding me by a handful of hair and holding above me. I let out a scream as the oil dripped into my eye, burning my eyelid and melting the tissue. I shook to try to free myself as the oil tore through my eyelid and starting burning my eye.

"No!"

"What's the next number?!"

"N-Nine hundred and seventy two! Let me go!"

**====What's 1000-7=====1000-7=====What's====**

**==100-7======What's 1000-7====What's=======**

**=======1000-7====What's 1000-7=====What's==**

**===1000-7======What's=====1000-7=========**

"G-Gah!"

I let out a scream as he moved to the next eye, slowly dripping the boil oil into my eye. The flesh sizzled and bubbled, I could feel it, as I yelled my voice away. Another drop, and my eye slowly melted away into mush.

"N-Nine hundred and sixty five! Nine hundred and fifty eight!"

**====Hungry!=====I'm======Starving!=========**

**========So========Hungry=====Just=======**

**===Famine====That's=====All========There===**

**=====Is========Jesus!======Fuck!=========**

"H...Hungry..." I whimpered. Kaneki stopped, lowering the tool.

"You want to eat?"

"Yes..."

"Very well." He said, standing up and grabbing a pot. He brought it over, showing me the slices of meat very similar to what Ozpin used to make for me. He brought out the strips, which seemed like jerky make from multiple sections of the body, and slowly lowered them in my mouth.

I ate it with a smile, swallowing it with just a bit of trouble. As usual, it didn't taste good, but I was told that's because since we ate old bodies. Usually they had bacteria and other gross things in there.

Either way, I was so happy to eat it, even if it tasted like pig liver.

"What's the next number, Jaune?"

"Nine hundred and fifty one." I groaned. He gave me a pat on the back, reaching into a cage. A crow rested on his hand, pecking at his hand. Blood slowly dripped from his palm at where it pecked, his head tilting to the side.

"This is a hungry raven. I wanted to give you some company." I said, placing it down. The bird rested on my chin, it's talons piercing into my flesh. It pecked at my eyes tearing out the mush. I let out a scream, yet the bird hardly seemed to care at my spasming chin. It pecked, and pecked, and pecked away at my eyes with a crazy hunger.

"Nine hundred and forty four! F-Fuck! Nine hundred and thirty seven!"

My skin rubbed raw against the metal of the chains, the bird still pecking, pecking, pecking away.

He brought over a hammer and and a box of nails, grabbing one and placing it on my sternum.

"Nine hundred... and thirty..."

He hammered it into my chest, popping one of my lungs as the nail bent. My scream came out raspy as he hammered it again, and again, until it was all the way in.

"Nine hundred... t...t...twenty three."

And another into my knee cap.

"Nine hundred... and sixteen..."

And the other knee cap

"Nine hundred and nine..."

Into my palm, up into my forearm, crow still pecking.

"Nine hundred and two..."

My other palm.

"Eight hundred and ninety five..."

My left eye.

"Eight hundred and eighty eight."

Into my tailbone, up through my pelvis, in my elbows, into my tongue, he hammered, and hammered, and hammered. I twitched and twitched as the nails slowly let out my blood as fast as I could regenerate it, the red sticking out against my boney, white, chest.

"I'll let you recover." He said, giving a small smile and leaving the room.

**=====God...=========Why==========**

**=========Just====Let=====Me===Go=**

**==Please======Why====Help====Me===**

A figure entered through the window, black and morphed. It crawled on the ceiling, hanging down. It's single red eye glowed as it glared at me, the childish giggle escaping it's mouth.

"**Hello**."

"H...H..."

**"What's wrong, daddy?"** She asked, giving a giggle.** "Hung up on something?"**

"You aren't real..."

**"Oh, I am very real."** She said, a tendril firing from her figure and piercing into my right leg. I let out a yelp, the tendril retreating inside of her.

"W...Why...?"

**"I don't control him... But I will take advantage of it."** She said. Her long tendrils reached up through the window, pulling back two small humanoid shapes. The tentacles giggled as she lowered the children in front of me, the claws wrapping around their throat.

The one on the left couldn't have been older than three, with black hair and blue eyes that were stretched open in fear.

"H-Help me!" He shouted, glancing at his sister. The girl, who had to be about 10, squirmed in the figure's tendrils, trying to scream. The tendril went straight down her throat, causing her to gag and vomit, the liquid dripping down her chin.

**"Choose who dies."**

"W-What? No, please!"

**"Choose who dies!"**

"N-No! Eight hundred and eighty one! Eight hundred and seventy four!"

**"Choose or they both die!"**

"No please!"

**"You have till three!"**

"God no!"

"**One**!"

I shook violently, the chains pinching into my flesh and tearing it open.

"**Two**!"

"Please, let them go! Just let them go!"

"**Three**!"

"The girl! Save the boy! Save the baby boy!" I screamed.

**"Wise choice."** She said, cutting her throat open. Blood sprayed onto the table, her gagged screams causing me to convulse and wretch.

A creak came from upstairs, the figure giving a giggle.

**"My name is Eto, by the way. Pleasure to meet you, daddy."** She said, retreating through the window as Kaneki came back down.

"Are you screaming for help? Nobody is going to come to help you." He said, poppin a finger.

"T-There was a woman! A-A shadow! She killed a kid!"

"I know there was, Jaune, I know. We see things. Just keep counting, and they'll go away." He said, grabbing his nails.

"Please, no!"

"How long until you realize asking isn't going to get you anywhere? Count."

...

Time passed. So much time. Long enough where the flies did start coming through. I could feel them biting at my flesh, crawling under my flesh and laying their eggs. I could feel them hatch, the maggots, and eat away at me from the inside out.

The crow never stopped eating. It just... never stopped. Every time it pecked out my eyes, and yet I still could grow them back quick enough to see them get pecked out again.

Kaneki still tortured me, day after day, night after night.

Eventually, I figured out the only way to get a break was to beg for food. Each day it seemed to get even more and more disgusting, but that and the counting helped my sanity from falling apart completely. It was horrible, though, to the point I threw it up. Kaneki scooped it up, as it mixed with the rotting and clotted blood, and fed it back into me.

...

I rested in a red forest, the soft autumn breeze blowing through my hair. The world was inverted, upside down, but at this point it felt natural.

**=====Peace====here====I====feel====safe===I==**

**==love====it=====here===no====more===pain====**

**======I======love========it==============**

I was full, so full that my stomach couldn't fit another bite, yet there was the nagging insanity of hunger, and I didn't know why.

The girl giggled in front of me, sitting with her legs crossed. She always came when Kaneki left. We would talk for hours and hours, usually of topics that tried to degrade my sanity, but some were enjoyable.

**"You know you aren't eating human. You never were. The moment you became a part of this cafe, they have been feeding you Ghoul. Human meat is never gross, no matter how rotten. They wanted to turn you into a weapon, pointed at the enemy."**

"Whatever..." I croaked.

Pyrrha stood up from behind her, her long slender arms wrapping around Eto.

**"Why did you kill me, Jaune?"**

"N-No..."

**"Why did you let me die?"**

"P-Please!"

**"You'll never amount to anything."** Eto said, her eye glowing red. **"Not if you sit here like this."**

**"You killed that girl, and you killed me."** Pyrrha said, giving a laugh. I shook my head, letting out a scream as my tears dripped into my brow.

**"Why are you crying, Jaune?"** Eto said**. "Crying is for the weak. You are weak. You will die, and nobody will notice. You aren't a Ghoul, or a human. You aren't living. You don't have a soul, Jaune! You are a fucking husk!"**

"Shut up!" I shouted. "Shut up, shut up, shut the hell up!"

Roses blossomed beneath my head, soaking up the blood pool.

**"Daddy, you are nothing! Nothing!"** Eto shouted.

I let out a scream, Eto and Pyrrha vanishing.

Ruby stood, alone, tears falling from her eyes.

**"Jaune... You aren't nothing."**

"Ruby... God dammit... Why? I killed them."

**"You didn't, Jaune. You chose to save one of them, and you chose the one with the most to live for. His older sister would have wanted it that way. You only did what you had to do."**

"I killed them!"

**"Don't cry, Jaune. Don't fall into weakness like the ones before you did. This is a cycle, a cycle of pain. From another to Kaneki, and from Kaneki unto you. Be strong, Jaune."**

"I can't! I can't! What's the point of this, anyways!? Why does any of this matter?! I'll never see her again, and I'll never be human again!"

"I'm selfish!" I shouted. "I chose myself! I ate people, living people! I could have put up with the hunger, but I was weak and gave in! I conformed to the Ghoul World, instead of fighting it! I'm weak!"

**"No, Pyrrha was weak."** Ruby said, tilting her head.** "Leaching off of you like a princess inside of a castle. Letting you eat her, as if she couldn't stand up for herself. She hated you, Jaune."**

"Shut up!"

**"You know it's true, Jaune. If she said no to you, and was selfish for her safety, she would still be alive today. It was her selflessness that got her killed."** She said, walking forward and wrapping her arms around me.

"Stop it." I whimpered.

**"But that's what you wanted, right? You wanted her to die, so you could stop loving her and start obsessing over yourself."**

"Stop talking." I choked out.

She vanished, and I was alone.

I shook my head as water streamed down my face, my throat caught.

"Pyrrha... Pyrrha..." I said. "Why did... Why did you leave me? Why did you leave me all alone? I miss you... I just wanted to be happy..."

"I wish... I wish I could have told you... I wish you could have lived for me!"

**"Even though her living was only to fill your selfish desire to be happy?"**

"_Yes_!" I screamed.

**"Even if you had to tear down the world?"**

_"Even if it meant that!"_ I yelled.

**"Even if it meant killing the ones you loved?"**

_"I just want to be happy! I'd kill everyone!"_

**"Even if it meant strangling them, watching the life drain from their eyes, for no reason other than yourself?!"**

_"Even if it meant that! Even if it meant that!"_

**"Good boy..."** She said, taking my cheeks into her hand**. "That's right, Jaune."**

**"We are selfish beings. Everything we do is ultimately for our satisfaction."** She said, touching her nose to mine.** "We must do anything and everything to get what we want. It's the only way to be happy. Pyrrha couldn't learn that."** She said.

**"That isn't happiness, it's selflessness, and it's vile."** she whispered**. "She was too weak to decide to live for herself, and she died. Can you walk the path of selfishness, to be happy? Can you kill someone like me, Ruby, for your own pleasure?"**

"I... I can."

She touched her lips to mine, standing in the field of roses.

**"The Ghouls and Humans will kill each other, at this point. There's no stopping it without tearing the entire system down and rebuilding it. So that's the idea. Watch the world burn, take the remains, and build a better one. For us."**

"I will tear down this world."

**"You're precious Pyrrha, should she be alive, and your friends at Anteiku, they might have to go through what is about to happen."**

"Anyone who tries to take something precious from me will get no mercy."

**"Do you have that kind of strength?"**

"Yes."

**"Are you saying you accept me?"**

"No, I'm not saying that." I said, dropping down and landing on all fours. She flopped onto the bed of roses as I crawled over her, pinning her hands down as I stared into her gray eyes.

"I can always surpass you."

**"Even if that's the wrong choice?"**

"I'm not the one who's wrong." I said, lowering my mouth to her neck.

"What's wrong is... the world!"

**"That will do..."** She said, her voice that of Eto's.

**"Jaune."**

I bit into her neck, tearing the tendons and flesh in a spill of blood.

**"To live is to devour others. Eat."**

My hair turned white as I stood, blood streaming from my lips.

"I am... Jaune Arc. The world's Midknight."


	16. -----:Shiva

**A/N:**

**Almost at the 'season finale'. There hasn't been much feedback lately so to those still reading, if you could possibly leave a review saying your still interested, it would help more than you know. It really motivates me. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

I stumbled

I limped.

I leaned against a wall, blood dripping from my missing arm.

Who was I?

Cardin?

Card-

Ca

c

Where was I?

I flopped against a wall, blood spraying from my open wound fracture. My back burned as the rash rubbed against the wall, my pocket buzzing. In a stupor, I pulled out my Scroll. A text had appear on the cover.

A Dr. Kanou had texted me.

You have ROS, RC Cell Oversecretion Disease. It's serious. This is not a joke. Come in now.

I felt sick in my stomach. The phone dropped from my hand, landing in pool of my own blood.

What was ROS? Who is Dr. Kanou? Where am I? Who am I?

I stumbled to a trashcan, vomit flooding out of my mouth. I fell to the floor, my back on fire. Where was I? How did I? What? How? I can't think. Help me. I. God, fuck!

I took my only hand, covering my eyes in a pitiful attempt to cradle my head.

J

Jaune

Jaune... I need... Someone... named Jaune...

I was... forced to kill him- but- I think- I needed to tell him something important.

I dipped my finger in my pool of crimson, writing on the wall.

White Night. Yes, that's it.

What was I supposed to..?

CCG...C...G... My...computer...

I wrote this on the wall, my mind in shambles. My back burned, twitched, and flexed in pain as the rash seemed to bubble.

I felt the back of my neck with my hand, meeting the rough skin of the rash. It was all along my back. Why did it hurt so much? Why did I feel so sick? It was as if I was on a roller coaster.

I pulled myself forward in a weakened crawl, hallucinating and mad.

I'm... I'm c-C-c-C... Brown hair... Bla-Blue eyes.,.

I grabbed my hair with my hand pulling it out in a painful tear.

Gray?! Gray!? Why is it gray!?

I thrust my hand to the side, an old TV standing beside me. Through the reflection, I could just see the color of my eyes.

Red? Why were they red? God, what's going on!?

Bile entered my mouth again, and my attempt to cover it with my hand only sprayed it onto my chin.

Ghoul. Ghoul. Ghoul. Ghoul, Ghoul. This was like a Ghoul. I am not a Ghoul. I am a Human. I am a Human being. I am not a Ghoul. No Ghoul, Human.

**=========Oh===Really?==========**

No, I hear a voice. I hear a voice. I can't tell whose it is, but it's a feminine voice. I can tell. I know what a Male and Female are. I know what is Human and Ghoul. Human have Ka-... Ghoul's are hunted...

**====You===Should===Have===Just**

**======Stayed===Where===You===**

**==Belonged.====Even===The Death==**

**==God==WasAfraid===YetYou==Wanted=**

**==ToChallenge==Fate?===To Change==**

**=====The==World?====Broken==World?=**

I looked up, a blonde haired woman in business attire standing in front of me. She placed her heel to my forehead, grinding it into my skull.

**"You are a piece of shit."** She shouted**. "Good for nothing shit!"**

Who? What? I am? I? Good?

**"Couldn't you just have fucking stayed in your cubicle, with your nose and eyes forward?!"**

She wasn't real, her heel didn't hurt. Why was my arm not bleeding anymore? Why did it have a stub? My bone, why is it not sticking out of my leg anymore?

**"You just had to look somewhere even The Death God didn't want to look! You just had to look into how fucked up this world is!"**

My rash... why was it coming out of my shirt? Why was it moving?

**"You thought you could change things! You think that you, a little piece of crap, could change anything? Why do you even care?! You don't like the Ghouls! You hate them!"**

"I am Ghoul...?" I said.

**"Yes, you shit! Now you are! Look what you've become! The very monster you wanted to stop being!"**

"I'm Human?"

**"Not anymore! DOS was probably the disease that started Ghoul kind, and you are a victim of it! You are a proto-ghoul now! Remember, CCG training?! They taught you about Ghoul evolutionary theory. You are becoming a Ghoul, all thanks you your shitty DNA."**

"No, I... That's not..."

**"A human get's DOS, and if they get it just right, they grow a Kagune in just the right way! And guess what?! That shit growing out of your back is exactly that!"**

"No!" I shouted.

**"Yep! You are screwed!"**

"Doctor have medicine!"

**"Not any cure, that's for damn sure!"**

"Get me to Doctor!"

**"You're mad, you piece of crap! You're more worthless than your Dad thought! You deserved that buckle!"**

"No..."

**"And you wanted, no, you prayed, every night, that a Ghoul would come by and eat him! Doesn't that say things about you?!"**

"No! No! No! No!"

**"Yeah, just accept it! You just wanted the world to burn! You are selfish! You tortured people when you were younger! You bullied children, just because it made you feel better!"**

"No!"

**"You spread rumors about that Velvet girl saying she was a Ghoul!"**

"No!"

**"Remember what happened? The cops had to come! She had to be tested! She was taken from her family for a week! She's lucky her parent's got her back before any tests could have been run!"**

"Please, stop!"

**"And all because you wanted to feel macho! You just wanted to inflate your ego, and you played her! You hurt them!"**

"Stop talking!"

**"You are a selfish bastard that only cares about himself! You'd kill if it meant you could get your fucking pay!"**

"It's not like that!"

**"You helped investigators kill living beings! Intelligent, living beings! You knew one of them, and you killed him yourself! Look what you did to Jaune!"**

"I didn't do anything like that!"

My rash twitched as its crusty shell tore open, the muscle fibres flopping out.

"God..."

**"All you are is a self-obsessed prick!"**

"No, no, no, I'm not!"

**"Oh really?! What are you going to do about it!"**

I stood up, stumbling and hitting the wall, giving a growl. My leg had completely healed, as my red eyes locked on Akira.

I wrapped my hands (I had both my hands) around her throat, pinning her to the wall.

"I'll kill you."

**"You're proving my point."**

"I'll save them all. I'll change. I'll atone."

**"You were a professional killer."**

"I'll save them."

**"You're too mad to do that."**

"I know, it's exactly why I'll do it. I'll unite the world."

**"Oh really, hot shot? How do you plan on doing that?"**

"Under war. I'll be a force so deadly, they have to turn their eyes onto me."

**"They'll kill you before you pick up a finger."**

"I'd like to see them try."

**"You'll die."**

"I don't care."

**"You'll have to kill."**

"The death of one to save two is worth it."

**"You will be hated forever. Nobody will love you. You will become the monster of the world."**

"I take their evils onto me, so that they may stay calm."

**"I, Akira, might have to die by your hand. You might have to kill your co workers. You might have to kill the ones you love."**

"I'll do it!"

**"You might have to sacrifice everything that makes you happy, and tear down the world, just so this war ends!"**

"I'll do it!"

**"You might have to kill everyone, so the survivors can know the true evil is not each other!"**

"I'll fucking do it!"

"You'll end the world, on the off chance a better one might rise from the ashes?"

_"I'll do it!"_

She snickered, looking deep into my eyes. I dropped her as she flopped to the ground, a sexual groan escaping her lips. I leaned down, pressing my knee in between her thighs, breathing on her neck.

**"The world is falling apart, Cardin. The Ghouls and the CCG are operating to exterminate the other."**

"I won't let that happen."

"**Oh**?"

"Anyone who threatens my view of peace will get no mercy."

**"Do you have that kind of strength?"**

"Yes" I said, her hands wrapping around my back, sliding over my shoulder blades.

**"Are you saying you accept me?"**

"Yes, but as a tool for the new world."

**"What if this isn't the right choice?"**

"I'm the right one. The one is is wrong..." I said, sinking my teeth into her flesh.

"Is the world."

**"That will do... Cardin."** She said.** "To live is perfection. We have to learn that all life is perfect. And so, we will show that their fears of each other are fake, wrong, and irrelevant. Eat."**

I stood up, my gray hair swaying in the wind.

"I... I am Death, Destroyer of Worlds."

I looked up at a man in a long white suit, a red mask covering his lower face. Tatara, I knew him.

He reached out his hand.

I took it.

I was Aogiri.


	17. The Owl Wakes At Midknight

I hung upside down, Kaneki slowly walking towards me.

"Jaune..." He said, tapping his scalpel in his palm. "I think we need to go further. So deep, that you might die. It's a needed risk. By now, I'm sure the Doves have heard your screams. The fun is over. It's my job to take them on, you see. I am your defender. I've saved you, made you stronger, so that we never have to be apart. We are friends, Jaune."

He placed the scalpel down, unzipping his mask.

"The Dove's motive is to jail and kill all Ghouls. They've become power hungry enough to kill even humans, as Pyrrha found out all too well. We are the only ones to stand against them. We have to. We have to bring the fight to them, so that we can stay together in peace."

He walked forward, opening his mouth wide.

"Let's help each other. Make me stronger, and I'll do the same to you. Here, Jaune, is the finale. Let me devour you, let me strip each bit of flesh from your bones. I won't kill you."

Ruby. Eto. Pyrrha. They surround me. He doesn't see them.

Or he does. His brow furrows in confusion.

"Hilarious."

He looked down, tilting his head.

"You really are mad."

He gave a smile, inching his mouth closer to my throat.

"You truly are fantastic, Jaune!" He said, giving a smile. "Let me eat you!"

His kagune burst out with a spill of the four red tendrils, his mouth coming closer.

My Kagune activated, tearing through the chains and blocking the attack. I flipped in the air, my mass of blue, red, gray, and white flesh spinning around me. My foot met his face, kicking it into the floor. He gave a grunt as his nose smashed against the floor, my foot pressing on his back and pushing off.

Flesh sprouted out from my back, wrapping around my body like a shell. Bone hardened around my face, a single back eye opening. It's mouth slowly fell open as it's saliva dripped to the floor, it's spiked arms wrapping around my own.

"The No Killing Owl- Yoshimura?!" Kaneki said, his eyes widening in fear. "Why do you have Yoshimura's Kagune?! How could you!" He shouted, thrusting his tendrils at me. I sprinted forward, kicking up the table as the tendrils hit it and tore it apart.

I sprinted forward, ducking underneath his attack and stabbing my spiked hand straight into his stomach.

He spat blood, cutting apart the sword with his tendril.

"What... What did you do to him?! What did you do to Yoshimura?!" He shouted, tears streaming from his face.

**====================Die===================**

I grabbed his foot, twisting it and causing it to splinter into gore. He hardly flinched, slashing up with his tentacle.

My head fell off.

My body stumbled.

The flesh filled the wound, forming a new mask, a new head, a new Jaune.

I would tear this world down. I would live as I wanted. I wouldn't have my fate dictated.

"Tell me what you did to him, you monster! Why did you Humans take him from us! Release him from that fucking prison!" Kaneki shouted, showing more emotion than I had ever seen him do.

I popped my finger, causing his head to lift up in horror.

"No... I did this... I created you... I am Jason." He said, stumbling back.

"I am Midknight. I am your destroyer." I said, my voice rumbling with the deep tone of my Kakuja.

"No!" Kaneki shouted, shooting his tendrils out.

Four arms extended from my mass, catching his tentacles mid stab. My Kagune tore through my stomach, burrowing through me and shooting out to stab him in his shoulder.

"D-Dammit!"

I threw his tentacles down, popping my finger. He crawled on the ground, shivering as blood spilled from his wound.

"Jaune... don't do this."

"I will be better than you. I won't be changed by this. I will forever be Jaune Arc. I won't act grim, I won't drown myself in self pity. I will stay above this world, above everyone else. I will grow so strong, and stay so far away, that no one can hurt me anymore. And when the world falls, oh, when it falls, I will be there. Like a vulture circling a corpse, I will eat this world and rebuild it to fit my desires. I will be God."

He let out a scream as my swords stabbed into his limbs, pinning him to the ground. The giant head that was I reached down, biting into his lower back.

"G-Gah!" He screamed. "S-Stop!"

"You have changed, Kaneki. This torture has changed you more than I. Tomorrow, I wills till crack jokes, I will still drink coffee, and I will still kill and eat. You will not."

"No!"

"This world won't change me."

I said, tearing his still active Kagune from his back and eating it whole. I ate the organ, and even some of the spine. He laid limp, paralyzed and unconscious.

Eto crawled through the window, taking off her bandages. Her shaggy hair fell to her lips as I left my Kakuja, which degraded behind me. I took her, placing my hand on her hip and lowering her down. She gave a smile, holding a hand to my face.

"Jaune, you have my Dad's weapon."

"I am Jaune Arc. I'm not defined by anyone."

"Let's find out how my Dad's organ got inside you, and then kill him."

"Yes."

"Do you want to watch the world burn with me?"

"Yes."

She leaned up, pressing her lips against mine.

"Let's go. Let's run away. We'll go so far, they can't touch us. We'll be above it all."

"They won't be able to reach us? Or hurt us?"

"No, Jaune." She said with a small smile. "Nobody will hurt us ever again. We can be happy. That's all you want, right? To be happy?"

"That's all I've ever wanted."

She smiled, standing up and walking up the stairs. she motioned with a finger, vanishing as she went to the next floor. I stepped on the stairs, the wind blowing through my white hair.

"Jaune..." Kaneki groaned.

I turned my head, slightly.

"Don't do this... She wouldn't want this..."

"Don't speak of what Pyrrha would have wanted."

"You... Know I'm right."

I looked straight, swallowing and walking up the stairs. Eto sat on a table, her hood down.

"One caramel mocha, please." She said, giving a small smile.

"Coming right up." I said, walking over to the coffee machine. I ground up the beans, whipped up the cup, and prepared one for each of us.

"It feels like we haven't officially met yet. Hi, I'm Sen Takatsuki, but I go by Eto." She said, holding out her hand. I took it in mine, giving a smile and a firm shake.

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it."

She gave a giggle, taking a sip of her tea.

"I do." She said. "Siblings in half ghoulishness, I suppose."

"Hey, I am totally a Human Bean." I said, throwing her a coffee bean. She giggled, shaking her head.

"Please don't tell me I'll have to put up with this. Just great."

"You know what else is great? Me." I said, pointing my thumb at me.

"Well, I hope you'll protect me, Mr. Arc." She said in a teasing tone.

"Well, hot stuff, play your cards right, and maybe I'll make your group the winning team."

I held up my cup.

"To us, let's build something better."

"To us." She said, taking a sip. "Are you ready to come to Aogiri?"

"Hey, an Arc never goes back on his word.

...

**Pyrrha**:

I... Where... I...?

My head... Holy crap, it hurts.

_Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep._

There was a heart monitor?

I slowly opened my eyes, the oxygen mask blocking some of my view. My vision came into focus, exposing the hospital room.

A woman with blonde hair sat in the chair, asleep.

"What..." I mumbled, causing her to stir. She squinted as she awoke, placing her arms on the chair.

"Oh, good, you're awake."

"Where am I? Who... Who am I?" I said, taking off my mask.

"What? You mean you don't remember?"

"...No." I said, swallowing.

"Well, we found you damaged by some Ghouls. You were hurt pretty bad."

I held up my hands counting ten fingers. Odd, it felt s if I was wrong.

"Why did you help me?"

"I guess you were just a human caught in the crossfire. We couldn't let that go, or else we'd be in big trouble. There was only one way to save you, though."

"What was it?"

"A surgery." She said, grabbing a mirror. I squinted as my reflection cleared up, my brow furrowing in confusion. One of my eyes was red, and the white of my eye was a pale gray. My hair was rustled, but that wasn't what shocked me. There were long strands of white in the red, and a strand of the white hair and fallen in front of the gray eye.

"What happened to me?"

"We gave you the Q surgery. You are now a Human Ghoul hybrid." She said.

"Oh..." I said, looking down.

"Hey, it'll be okay. You're good now." She said, sticking out her hand. "I'm Akira Mado. What's your name? Or, your new name?"

I gave a small smile.

"Sasako. Sasako Achilles."

Akira smiled.

"Well, Sasako, we just so happen to have an opening for an investigator at the CCG. Since you don't know where you live, or who you are, would you like to work there? You seemed to know combat pretty well, in the state we found you and the Ghouls around you."

I looked outside the window. The snow was falling slowly, giving the world a white hue. It looked so beautiful, if a little mellow. I reached a hand out, looking to the glassy sky. Akira stood up, walking over and sliding the window open. Snowflakes slowly drifted in, landing on my nose. I gave a slight giggle at the sudden chill, wiping the melted water from the bridge of my nose.

Looking out into that world tightened my throat, bringing tears to my eyes. I covered my mouth with my hand, sobbing silently. Tears streamed down my face as Akira ran to my side, wrapping her arm around me.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

The world outside, it was so beautiful. I felt bittersweet, looking at it. Like my reason for living was out there, but at the same time, like I should feel sad. Like I should be grieving. There was something out there that I needed to find, or something I needed to accept.

This woman beside me, she was so nice. I feel like I should hate her, yet I don't. I feel the opposite. As I wrap my arms around her, sobbing into her shoulder, and as her arms wrap around me, I feel safe. I feel like she represents the way I can find what I'm looking for. The thing that would make me complete again.

She patted my back, speaking softly into my ear.

"It's okay, it's okay. Everything's alright now."

I wondered if that was true. If felt truer than anything in the world, yet all the while so wrong. The world out there was something I loved, and it was something I needed to protect. I'd get better, and I'd find what I want, what I loved. Someday, I'd find it.

"Okay." I said, pulling back.

"Okay?" Akira asked, tilting her head with a smile.

"I'll help you guys out. I'll join the CCG."

**A/N:**

**That's it for Vale Ghoul! I'll be working on :RE, but don't worry, it should be coming quickly. I'll update this fic, no need to sub to a different thread I'll just treat 'Vale Ghoul :RE' as if I'm just adding more chapters to this one. So just wait for that email saying this fic was updated, I guess! Hope you guys enjoyed the first 'season!'**


	18. -:REborn, Yet All The Same

**A/N: And :RE begins**

Would Blackened Knights ever heal? In just a bloody drop, a flood becomes nothing to him. Numb to everything, the world betrays the knight, hurt by the very thing they swore to protect. So at last, they turn and look into themselves, and quit sacrificing for an ungrateful world. Let it burn, without the knight. It did nothing for him. It was only a burden.

Yes, the White Knight turns into the worlds darkest hour, the world's Midknight.

"J-Owl"

I turned my head, the skyline below flashing it's lights in the dark of night. A man in a white coat with a red mask covering his lower face.

"We will be moving out shortly. Please be ready."

"'Course." I said, giving a thumbs up. A smile rested under my mask, but I doubt he could see it. I squatted on the edge of the skyscraper, the wind blowing through my white hair.

"It seems like we never get to just relax anymore." Eto said with a sigh, leaning her head against my hip and dangling her feet over the edge. "How can I write my next bestseller novel in these conditions?"

"This is not of priority." Tatara said, looking off into the distant skyline.

"You should loosen up, Tatara." I said, leaning back and popping my spine. "You look so stiff, like you got something up your butt."

"Please, J-Owl. Try to be serious."

"I'm good, thanks." I said, spilling a little venom into my tone as I stepped off the ledge.

He narrowed his eyes.

"I am only allowing you to participate in Aogiri due to Eto's liking of you, and your display of skill. This does not mean I approve of... the hybrid excuse of a ghoul you are."

Tatara didn't like me, if you couldn't tell. I don't think it was a hate though, despite how much he wanted to pretend. Just disgust, really.

"I value your council and your council alone. Never forget that."

"Love you too, sweet cheeks." I said, slapping his butt as I walked past.

"Lighten up, Tatara." Eto said, hopping down. "He doesn't mean harm. His ability to stay conscious in Kakuja form is a valuable asset, in your words. Plus, we're allied with Kanou, and J-Owl is one of his best works."

"Yes, I understand that. It is the reason I have let him rise through the ranks. My opinions of him will not affect my business decision"

"Speaking of," I said, turning and sticking my hands in my pockets. "What's the new plan? We've sort of been hovering in the shadows lately. We even let the CCG almost undermine the Black Dragon Club."

"I wouldn't say that. We let them find their money source in order to give them some satisfaction. Plenty of other meth labs have arisen to give them income." Eto said, shrugging. "I guess the current plan is sort of to mess with the alliance of Atlas and the CCG, because why not. It could be fun."

"Indeed. Our current knowledge of CCG operates state that they will be attacking the remaining White Fang, since the gang has been weakened when their leader, Black Cat, was taken and jailed. I imagine it will happen out in the open, very near this location."

"Are we going to use the Black Dove? I'm excited to see him fight." I said, giving a smile.

The Black Dove's existence had surprised me. He was, of course, Cardin. He had gotten infected with a nasty case of DOS, and now was what could be considered a 'Proto-Ghoul'. He was completely and absolutely mad. I haven't even heard him speak an understandable word yet.

"No, J-Owl. It's your time to shine." Eto said with a smile. "We need to show you off!"

"Anything specific I need to do? Just massacre some folks?" I said, crossing my arms.

"No, do not kill too many." Tatara said. "We don't want to put focus on you, just make the CCG aware of your existence."

I put my palms together popping my fingers as I pushed my arms out straight in front of me.

"Gah... it's been so long." I said, giving a smile as my one eye dyed black.

Gunfire erupted on the right side of the building.

"Perfect timing." Eto said, glancing over the edge. "Full fledged firefight. CCG versus the remnants of the once great White Fang."

"Can I kill some ghouls, too? Don't want them thinking we're on their side." I said, glancing to the left.

"Approved." Tatara said.

**===============Let'sBegin===============**

My shirt slowly lifted as my Kagune dripped through my shirt, the black flesh wrapping around my body. The muscle hardened around my skin, forming my monstrous shell. Bone hardened over my face, forming the mask of a beast.

Tatara and Eto shrank slightly in my vision, to roughly half the size of myself.

My four arms grabbed the edge of the wall as I stuck my head over, my hot breath slowly releasing as saliva dripped from my Kakuja's teeth.

I let out a beastly roar, and the gunfire instantly stopped.

I could almost feel the fear as the eye of both Ghoul and Human's worked it's way up the skyscraper, setting on my figure.

I leaped from the tower with a growl, my purple coat flapping in the wind. With a crash, the concrete shattered beneath me, sending men flying.

"What the hell is that?!"

"The one eyed owl?!"

"No way, that thing can't be! Just look at it!"

"Is it even bigger?!"

I gave a grin, biting into a man as he charged forward, wielding his koukaku. With a spray of blood, I bit into him, swallowing him with a sigh of satisfaction.

Men of Ghouls and Humans both fled, while others unified in fear to take me down.

Crimson charged forward, slashing with his claw.

A hand of my four grabbed it midair, lifting him to my gaze.

"G-Gah!" He screamed. My second hand grabbed him by the waist, pulling him in two. His organs fell into my mouth with a satisfying splatter, my swords of flesh slashing forward and cutting the two doves in front in two.

My arms clawed away at the next investigators, grabbing them and throwing them at the remaining Ghouls.

With the majority knocked out, fleeing, or cowering, I was ready to take my leave.

I turned my head to the street.

A lone figure walked past the police cars, the sprawled and injured bodies, and the frightened men.

Covered in a black shell of armor, the figure raised its spear, turning toward an injured woman by the car.

My heightened hearing picked up her conversation.

"Akira, you alright?"

"Yeah. How's the Arata Quinque going?"

"Hurts." She said, her voice slightly feminine. "Sorry I couldn't protect you, are you hurt too bad?"

"No, I'll be fine. You shouldn't take that thing on." 'Akira' said, glancing towards me.

"I know." She said, walking forward. "Ghoul, identify yourself!"

She was speaking to me?

"I..." My kakuja said in it's heavy breathing "I am the Midnight Owl..."

"Surrender yourself!"

"Tell me... Dove... what is your identity?"

Her voice was so familiar... could it be?

"Sasako Achilles!" She said, twirling her staff. "Now obey my order!"

I frowned. I suppose she wasn't who I had hoped for.

"I will not." I said, swatting her back with my hand. She rolled and hit the car with a crash, forcing herself up.

"I... I may fall." She said, turning to me. "But not like this."

With a war cry, the girl sprinted towards me and slashed down with her kagune. My fingers wrapped around her spear, tossing her to the side effortlessly. She landed on her feet, charging and slashing away at my thigh.

I let out a growl, grabbing her and throwing her at the car again. The vehicle crushed underneath her, yet she still shakily rose from the metal.

"Persistent..."

I grew tired of this. I walked over, flicking her with the fingers of my Kakuja. She let out a yelp of pain as she skidded across the concrete, finally being knocked unconscious.

My kakuja unfolded, spreading out as tissue opened within the hard bone-muscle of the koukaku-like spears. My wings flapped as I raised off the ground, flying away.

...

I walked down the streets, one hand in my jeans, the other playing a game on my scroll.

It had been a full year since I went with Eto. In that time, I don't feel much has happened. Of course, that would be a total lie, but perhaps it's just that now it doesn't feel like a task anymore, being a Ghoul. Every day was an eternity when I denied it, but now they fly by.

I had eaten MM, for starters. Every single person inside, except for Tsukiyama. It's one of the reasons I have such a giant Kakuja.

After my fight with Kaneki, who still was very much alive, Anteiku closed. The place was wrecked after the heightened dove activity.

That isn't to say they didn't open another one. :RE opened last month

I knocked the combination on the iron door, placing my hands in my pockets as I waited.

"Back already, Cinder? Damn, you can hunt like the best." I heard Roman said, sliding open the door. He must have gotten sloppy in the year since I left. He used to always check who was at the door.

It flew open, Roman's shocked expression meeting mine.

"It's you, piece of shit!" He shouted, his eyes turning black.

With my thumb wrapped around my index, my sword shot from my back, bending and impaling his face. His skull popped as the sword stabbed into the wall, bringing his body with it as my thumb gave a satisfying pop.

I flipped his body over, lowering my teeth to his lower back.

I walked into the open warehouse, wiping a drop of blood from my lip with my pinkie. My gaze flickered around the scaffolding, meeting Mercury and Neo. They each froze with fear, a small chuckle coming from behind me.

I turned my head slightly to see Cinder with her arms crossed, twirling a strand of her hair in her hand.

"Look who came back. I see you surprised Roman."

I shrugged.

"He got sloppy, so I made his body all sloppy." I said. "Does that make sense? I hope it does. It was meant to be cool sounding, but oh well." I said with a sigh.

"What do you want." She said, her voice desperately covering her sorrow over his death.

"Oh, you know, nothing much. I just wanted to see how the old gang was doing! Y'know, the nostalgia!" I said, giving a smile and scratching at my cheek.

Mercury swallowed hard, dropping down.

"Okay, man, I know how we treated you, and I'm really sorry. If you bring that human back, we won't touch her."

I smiled, looking down at my converses and giving a slight chuckle.

_Kckkk..._

"Human?" I said, my hair falling over my eyes. "Oh, you mean Pyrrha."

"Y-Yeah, her. Promise, we'll do something nice to say sorry." Mercury said, taking a step back.

I threw my head back, giving a grin that stretched from cheek to cheek.

"Pyrrha's dead."

_Kckkk..._

His eyes filled with terror, as if he understood what this meant.

I flipped to the right as Neo's rapier umbrella kagune shot towards the ground, cracking the concrete. I landed on my hand and rotated to my feet, my eye glowing black.

Cinder's eyes burst into a midnight flame as her wings erupted into flames, thousands of shards of flaming crystals shooting towards me.

My back exploded as black flesh spewed from it, forming four sets of arms which wrapped around my chest. The crystals stabbed into them, earning little more than a chuckle from me.

Mercury shot forward, his tail shooting out from his tailbone. He flipped and brought his tail down, one of my arms grabbing it midair and whipping it down. Mercury let out a yelp of pain as the concrete cracked beneath him as he smacked into the ground.

Neo recovered from her attempted surprise attack, shooting towards me.

My arms twitched as needles shot out of their length, flinging towards the girl. She leaped and spun in a roll to the right, her kagune opening into it's shield.

I shot forward as she absorbed the attack, standing in front of the shield as it was retracted. The moment it went back into rapier form, my arms wrapped around her body, lifting her into the air.

They tore her in half, raining blood down onto the solid concrete.

The fingers of my kagune calculatingly reached into her corpse, pulling out a small sack and lowering it into my hand.

Cinder gritted her teeth, not in anger, but rather in fear.

I licked my fingers as I finished up on Neo's kakuhou, stepping slowly towards the girl.

"I guess she's just half the person she used to be." I said, letting out a small laugh.

Cinder snapped, letting out a scream and charging towards me. My hands shot forward, wrapping around her neck and lifting her up from the ground. I glanced into her wide, gleaming golden eyes, and bit my tongue.

"Now, now, Cinder. Don't get a_head _of yourself."

My hands popped off her skull, which hit the ground with an unsettling wet sound.

"Hehehe..." I chuckled, throwing her body against the wall. It splattered, painting the dull monotone gray wall a vibrant scarlet.

I placed my hand against my temple, popping my neck as I walked to Mercury.

He let out groans from the rubble, desperately trying to claw himself forward. My kagune wrapped around his, tearing it from his back with only a slight scream from him. I sat down on his back, causing him to exhale painfully, his attempt to move rendered useless.

I patted his back, brushing back my hair.

"I just wanted to have a little chat, but I guess we never were ones for talking."

"P-Please."

"How are you? That's what people ask when catching up, right? What are you feeling? I'm really happy right now, Mercury."

"W-Why..."

"You want me to guess?" I said, thrusting my kagune into his forearm. He let out a scream, his bone crushing as the hand of my kagune formed a spike and impaled it. "Sure, I'll take a stab."

"F-Fuck..."

"I'd imagine what you're feeling is soul crushing regret."

He bit his lip, yelling as I twisted my kagune in his arm.

"J-Just get it over with, you fucking c-coward!" He shouted, banging his head against the concrete.

"Mercury, I just defeated you. Could you at least humor me, for like, five more minutes?" I said, patting his head.

"J-Just kill me!" He begged.

"I said no." I said, popping my thumb. "Just consider yourself lucky I'm not going to ask you 'what's 1000-7', because if I did, you'd really see how nasty things can be."

"A-Are you going to kill me?"

"I suppose the answer depends on how strong your regeneration is." I said, giving a smile. "You see, I've been wondering about something for quite some time. The CCG has been putting out some propaganda recently, and it's peeked my interest. It says 'Ghouls don't have souls'."

He let out a cry as my kagune pulled itself from his arm, wrapping around his body and flipping him over.

"That got me wondering, since I used to be human. Do I only half half a soul? Did I sell my soul to the devil? Where does the soul reside?" I asked, tapping my chin.

"In a similar topic, where is consciousness held? They say its the brain, but that's oversimplifying it. Is consciousness in the hippo-campus? The frontal lobe? The brain stem? Or is it in the nervous system, too? If it is, does it also spread to the tissue that is bonded to that nervous system? Can the spine be considered an extension of the 'brain', and thus 'consciousness'? If not, where in the group of segments of the brain has it, specifically?"

"I-I dunno, man!" He shouted.

"So back to the soul. I hear it's in the heart, but where? In the Right Atrium? The Left one? The Pulmonary vein or artery? Maybe the Aorta? Where in the heart is the soul, Mercury?"

"I said I don't know! P-Please!" He shouted, squirming against my grip.

"Well, that's what I'm going to find out. I'll have you know I was studying to become a doctor. I'm nearly qualified to perform surgery. So let's do that, Mercury!" I said, plunging my kagune's hand into his chest. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as my monstrous black hands tore open his chest, blood spilling from the wound in gallons. Bones cracked and organs popped as I opened up his chest further, until finally the lungs and heart were in sight.

"F-Fucking G-Gah! J-Jesus fucking-!" He shouted in between screams.

I reached into his chest rubbing my thumb against his beating heart. I pressed my fingernail into the left atrium, slowly slicing it open.

Blood spilled from the wound, coating my hand in the warm, sticky scarlet.

A shiver shot up my spine as a laugh erupted from my lungs.

I never felt so alive!


	19. -:REclaim The World, And Rule it

My hands gripped the top of the light post which I sat perched on, my white mask wrapped around my face. I gently closed my eyes, letting my ears adjust to the vibrant sounds of the city. A world of sound painted itself against my head, every creak or groan of the city's heart splattering my mind's eye with a rainbow of colors.

I heard the coughing of individuals a hundred feet away, the TVs from local bars, even muffled bass from the night clubs. Most of all, however, I heard the 'vroom' of the CCG van.

Eto sat across the street, making a heart with her hands.

She did this to say 'no hard feelings!'

The CCG wasn't smart. Well, it was, but not when identifying Owls. It grouped the 'No Killing Owl' of Yoshimura, and the 'One Eyed Owl' of Eto into one creature, when really they were separate entities. The plan was simple, have Eto attack the CCG car. This will confirm that I was not the One Eyed King. Meanwhile, I then go in and attack her, as that will shatter any idea about the Owls working together. It's doubtful I'll be seen as protecting the CCG, knowing them, so I don't have anything to worry about.

The car entered our sight. Driving through the snow, with white powder spraying out behind it, was the CCG armored truck. We didn't have any info on who was inside, but it was definitely not Arima, at least. From what I hear, he's the only one we need to fear.

Eto's figure morphed as her coat erupted into a blob of red and gray flesh. Her feminine roar erupted into the night sky as she leaped down onto the highway, causing cars to swerve and fling themselves from the road.

The van instantly screeched to a halt, it's passengers leaping out.

Four individuals leaped out, their quinques unfolding.

The first of which was a white haired girl, who held the bleach blonde strands in a ponytail. She wielded a thin, rapier like weapon, elegantly sprinting forward towards the Owl. The next was a blue haired man, who gripped a trident like quinque.

Finally, seemed to be the armored woman from earlier, her face completely covered by the quinque.

My sense of smell wasn't strong, in the context of a girl. But even so, something about her scent I did pick up on, and it drove me insane. Hidden beneath the flesh scent of whoever's kagune created her quinque, was something disturbingly familiar. Was she a Ghoul? It had that general feel, but there was more too it. Perhaps it was Ruby? Did she defect to the CCG?

No, that wasn't it.

My flesh boiled over, slowly wrapping around my body.

Eto gave a roar, sprinting forward and slashing down with her claws. The four shot away, dashing away from the nails of the fingers as they impaled through the concrete.

"Neptune, Weiss, go right!" The knight said, spinning her spear and stabbing into the hand, pinning it down. Eto roared, swatting her away with her other hand. The knight flipped, landing with a screech as the two doves thrust their weapons forward.

Eto roared, firing projectiles at the four.

They hit them, stabbing into their limbs and pinning them to the wall in a spill of blood.

"G-Gah!" Shouted the blue haired one. "Weiss, you alright?"

"Y-Yes!" She said, letting out a painful yelp.

Eto clawed downwards as the knight shot past her hand, slashing into the tendons of the kagune's hand. She let out a groan, charging forward. Her forehead slammed into the knight, thrusting her back.

I let out a war cry, causing both of their heads to turn.

I slowly crawled down from the post, letting out a low rumble.

"T-Two Owls?" The Knight said, stumbling back. I walked over to her, lifting my hand up and raising it above her as if to squish her.

I thrust it down beside her, charging forward and biting into Eto's monstrous shoulder, as was the plan. She let out a roar as I shook my head back and forth, sinking my teeth into her flesh. Her hands wrapped around mine, thrusting me over the suspended highway and onto the street below. I landed with a crash as the Owl leaped on top of me, shoving its hands into my mouth. With a roar, it tore my jaw from it's hinges, thrusting it across the street.

It slowly dissolved as I wrapped my hands around her, unfolding my wings and flying into the air. We crashed into a skyscraper, falling and flapping behind that.

And we were gone, the Knight left wondering what had just happened.

...

I sighed, scratching my head as I walked down the 7th ward's streets. Eto stood beside me, not dressed in her ghoul persona, but as Sen Tatatsuki, the best selling novelist.

"Jaune, where are we going?"

"Oh, just somewhere special."

"Tats not going to like this, is he?" She asked, referencing Tatara.

"You might not either." I said, scratching at my chin. "But I don't really care."

She looked at me, her mouth curving into a '~' shape.

"I don't like it when I don't like things."

"I don't like it when you don't like it when you don't like things, so it's okay." I said, patting her on her head.

"Can't you tell me what we're going to do?"

"Well, I've always wanted to try this new cafe that opened up." I said, giving a smile. "It's supposed to use real, imported Costa Rican coffee beans, and I hear they are amazing."

"This isn't for Aogiri, is it?"

"Nope, just settling a personal score."

"How many personal scores do you even have? You've been in the ghoul world for like, what, a year or two? How many people can you piss off in that time?"

"You underestimate what an Arc can do." I said, crossing my arms.

"If you say so." She said, rolling her eyes. "Though I doubt your observational skills. I bet you haven't eve discovered what a Q is yet, have you?"

"Of course I know what a Q is. Do YOU know what a Q is." I said, scratching at the back on my head. She sighed, patting me on the back.

"Jaune Arc 2.0s. Synthetic ghouls made from humans. There's more, but I don't care to explain."

"But there can't be 'me 2.0's, I'm already fantastic." I said, frowning.

"I know, I know." She said, shaking her head slowly.

"Anyways, the Qs were the squad we fought last night."

"You're a Q." I said, giving a small grin.

"Huh?"

"A QT!" I said with a grin, ear to ear. She gave an exasperated expression, staring blankly at me. "Get it, QT? Like, Cutie? Y'know, Flirtation? It's a lovely thing."

"I am going to tear out your kakuhou and make you eat it." She said, facepalming.

"I've gone through worse." I said with a shrug.

I walked into the cafe, pulling out the seat for Eto and sitting down myself. The waitress walked over with a smile on her face, bending over and taking out her pad and pencil.

"Welcome to :RE, my name is Ruby Rose and I'll be your waitress. Can I take your order?"

I looked down at the menu, not yet revealing my face.

"We'll just have some coffee. I'll have a mocha frappe, please." I said.

"Hmm, alright." She said, scribbling it down.

"A coffee with some caramel for me, please." She said, giving a smile.

"Coming right up!" Ruby said, bouncing away.

"She's a ghoul." Eto noted. "I can smell it. This place reeks of it."

"Mhm." I said, glancing down at the menu. "Since I can drink a mocha and digest it, do you think I'd be able to eat a coffee cake? Maybe if I dip it in the coffee..."

She sighed.

"Your lack of focus is unsettling."

"I'd think you'd be more child-like than I would. You have that air around you."

"I try to stay on task when it needs be."

"Well, I can handle it."

"Then why did I even come?"

"Eye candy." I said with a shrug.

"Your coffee." Ruby said, lowering the cups onto the table.

I leaned my head back, looking straight into her eyes.

"Thank you."

She froze, trembling. Her eyes filled with an emotion far too complex to understand. They filled with the horror and fear of seeing a monster, yet regardless, the subtle glow of seeing an old friend. Even so, the horror swallowed that spark whole, causing her to stumble back in fear.

"J-Jaune."

She looked back at Eto, who furrowed her brow in confusion.

"I-I'll be right back with the check." She said, running off.

"What fear. Impressive." Eto said, tapping her chin. "And even with that all, did I detect happiness?"

"Dunno." I said with a shrug, sipping from my frozen beverage.

Kaneki stepped forward, check in hand. His eyes hardened at the sight of me.

"Hello." He said, popping a finger.

"Oh, hey! Long time no see! How have you been doing?" I said, patting his back.

"Why are you here?"

"Oh, y'know! Nostalgia! I mean, this isn't Anteiku, but it's got that air to it! Thought I'd catch up with my old pals!"

Ruby stepped forward, standing slightly behind Kaneki.

"Why's she so afraid?" I asked, tilting my head. He narrowed his eyes, shaking his head slowly.

"You know why. They didn't take kindly to finding my near dead corpse."

"They found you when you were injured? Either they came back early or you really regenerated slowly without that organ in your back." I said, tapping my chin.

"W-Why did you do that?" Ruby asked. "Why did you hurt Kaneki?"

I breathed out of my nose in amusement, Eto holding her cheek in her hand as she watched silently.

"I guess he didn't give you the memo. He tortured me for just about a month straight." I said, tapping my fingers on the table.

"Kaneki?" She asked, looking at him.

"I wanted to help him." He said, looking down. "I realize my mistake."

"Oh, good. Glad you do. That makes things better." I said, popping my fingers.

"Why are you here?" He asked again.

"I have a little ultimatum." I said, scratching the back of my head and blushing slightly. "Be annexed by Aogiri under my command, or die right here, right now."

They both visibly swallowed, Eto trying to hide a smirk.

"My friend here is even stronger than I am, believe it or not. She alone could kill all of you, and that's without my help."

"Why?" Kaneki asked.

"Yes... why? What a lovely word, right?" I said, glancing at the ceiling. "Because it's fun? No, you won't like that answer. But I mean, really, that's the reason. This world is going to burn, just ask Ozpin. I just want to have fun before it does."

"Would we maintain our own sovereignty?" He asked.

"Like, stay independent? Nope." I said, crossing my arms. "You lot will be my pawns."

"...Doing?" He said, popping another finger.

I leaned back in my chair, taking a sip from my drink and putting my arms behind my head.

"Whatever I deem fit. You'll stay independent from Aogiri, yes, but I am your God." I said, Eto tilting her head. "I already annexed some of the remaining people over at MM into my group, so it's not like you won't be without company."

"Who?" Ruby asked, suddenly concerned.

"Ren and Nora, most notably. Tsukiyama as well." I said, smirking at Kaneki.

"He's on your side?"

"Well, he's participating. He and the Tsukiyama family are neutral towards us. We got the White Fang with us, too, which is funny since I almost killed them off."

They stayed silent.

"Yeah, they joined so I could break their leader, Black Cat, out of prison. Blake apparently is being held hostage, and possibly is being used by Kanou here and there."

Kaneki's brow twitched.

"Yeah, you got the right idea, Mr. Ken. Join me, and I'll convince Kanou to release your Yoshimura. He'll, in turn, sneak past the CCG and get him out." I said. "There's your little favor. Be glad I do it for you."

Of course, Yoshimura's mind is all but mush, now. Kaneki knew this, I'd imagine, but I would also imagine didn't care.

"I have one demand."

"This isn't a bargaining type thing."

"Atlas, as discovered by Ozpin, has refined their RC Cell detectors. They've become handheld."

I paused, biting the inside of my mouth.

"They'll likely be scanning the entire population very soon, as soon as they can cheaply produce the handheld device. We may seen genocide very soon. I want you to destroy Atlas. Out Ironwood, show the public he's a ghoul. Do whatever you can to slow down the CCG." He said.

Little did they know White Fang already demanded I do such a thing. Well, I didn't know about the handheld scanners, but the 'attack the CCG, destroy Atlas, down with Ironwood' is still already in motion. Not only that, but the White Fang went further on to have me steal some funds from the Black Dragon Club and give it to them. They'd start a peaceful group that raised awareness for Ghoul Equality, while using Aogiri for their violent proxy.

"Deal." I said finally.


	20. -:REmember, Please Remember

I cleared my throat, glancing at the woman behind the counter.

"What seems to the issue, sir?"

"Oh, just a small cough I wanted to check out. I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Kanou?"

"Name?"

"Jaune Arc." I said, watching as she typed into her computer.

"Alright, right on time. Just go through that door, he's the third on the left."

"Thank you." I said, turning away from her smile. I entered the room, sitting down and waiting for a few minutes. Before long, the door opened up and Kanou stepped in, clipboard in hand.

"Oh, hello Mr. Arc! I haven't seen you in forever! You must be feeling well after the surgery."

"Of course, of course." I said, waving the issue away. "I do seem to have a cough though, and it just won't go away. I was wondering if you could take a look."

It was, of course, a fake cough.

"Sure thing. Just hop up here, and breathe deeply." He said, patting the bed. I pulled myself up, following his command and looking at his face through the mirror against the wall.

"How's Yoshimura?" I asked.

He stiffened.

"What, you think I really came in here for a diagnosis?"

"No, not really." He said, standing.

"So, how is he?"

"How do you expect one of my subjects to be?"

"I need him released."

"That's-"

"I have Tatara's approval."

He bit his finger.

"He's my best base, though. Rize didn't even compare, when her corpse was under my care."

"I have Rize's corpse. Or rather, Kaneki, K-Eater, has it. I'll trade."

"Rize is no where close to Yoshimura." He said, crossing his arms.

"What about Cardin?"

"What about him?"

"The Black Dove could offer a lot for your research."

"Yes." He said, his mouth forming a '~' shape. "But he's not perfected yet, he's still evolving."

"So I give you Rize's corpse as insurance, while Black Dove evolves. When he hits a level you approve of, you can take him off our hands."

"Mmmm..." Kanou groaned.

"This isn't exactly a choice."

"I know." He said with a sign. "Alright, but can I get compensated?"

"Nope!" I said, crossing my arms.

"Welp, alright." He said, sighing. "Though I get to farm him till Monday."

"Fine."

"Tell me, Jaune. Where do you see yourself in a few years?"

"Standing on a pile of bodies, waving the flag of the United States of Jaunearcica."

He sighed, placing a palm on his face.

"Doing what, exactly?"

"Dunno. Probably will have tons of beer. I'll have my own mansion, and hire the best MM chefs for my personal meals. Maybe I'll hire a gaming company to make my perfect FPS game. Call of Arc: The Jaunening. No, World War Ghoul. Maybe WWG? World War G?"

He let his upper eyelids droop, looking at me with a slight frown.

"I see. Good luck, I suppose."

I popped a finger.

"Eh, luck isn't needed. Skill is, and luckily, the Arc family has been skilled for generations!"

...

"Tatara." I said, glancing around the rooftop.

"Yes, J-Owl?" He asked, Eto resting against the trash. He looked up, lowering the Scroll he was using to call his assets.

"I have a proposal, not sure if you'll like it."

"If it's as ludicrous as annexing Anteiku and sacrificing the Y-Owl subject, yes, I will not enjoy it."

"It's even worse."

"Lovely." He said, sighing. "What is it?"

"I want to join the CCG."

He paused.

"No."

"Tatara..."

"No, J-Owl."

"But Tataraaaaaaaaaa." I groaned.

"Why would you even think of such a thing? How would it get done? We need the Midknight Owl to work on our side!"

"Exactly. Midknight Owl will be with Aogiri, but I will be with the CCG."

"Elaborate, now."

"Well, the 'White Knight', my Ghoul identity, is not yet linked to the 'Midknight Owl'. You understand, don't you? Just like I balanced Jaune Arc and 'White Knight', I can balance my two identities here."

"Still no."

"Oh, c'mon!" I said, throwing my hands up in the air. "I could totally gain their trust. Besides, even if I get caught, I'm skilled enough to get out without using my Kakuja. Nothing of value would be lost."

"And when you're inside?"

"What wouldn't I do? I'd give you guys everything you needed."

"The CCG hasn't worked with a Ghoul in over 20 years, or at least announced so."

"But they have, and they will."

He glanced down.

"I do not like this. You are not trustworthy. In fact, I would argue you are the least trustful person in the Ghoul World, and I have met Uta."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Besides, why would I ever leave my sweet Tatara?" I said, winking at him. He exhaled, shaking his head.

"Fine. I approve. Do what you need to gain their trust, then destroy them from the inside out."

"Like a chestburster from Alien!" I said, stabbing my kagune through my chest. I chuckled as I sheathed it away, my chest slowly healing.

"Disgusting." He said, sighing.

...

I walked down the sidewalk, my hands in my pockets.

The CCG didn't connect the White Night and the Midknight Owl just yet. I needed to sustain that connection.

I let my eye dye black, as I stood calmly in the street.

People passed by me, not noticing as I slowly stepped forward, crossing the street.

Some heads slowly turned, filling with expressions of fear. Yet, as if knowing screaming would get them killed, they all stayed silent. I walked a mile, all the way to the CCG.

I pulled a file from my backpack. Now that MM had all but collapsed, the Black Dragon's major funding was lacking. Eto and Tatara had found other methods, but the CCG didn't know that.

I opened the door, walking in calmly.

Men in suits who chatted among themselves stiffened, turning their gaze towards me.

"May I help you?" The woman said, without lifting her head.

"I have an appointment," I said, thinking back. The Black Dove, Cardin, only ever said one real name. Akira. "With a certain Akira."

"Okay, and what is your name... sir..." She said, her voice trailing away as she looked at me.

"The White Night." I said, tapping the desk. I placed down the file, raising my hands above my head. "This is all the sources for the funding of the Black Dragon Club that I could find. It also contains a working thesis for how to disband them permanently."

A white haired man slowly stepped forward, drawing a black rapier from his suitcase.

"Arima, wait." Said a blonde woman, holding her hand out.

I turned my head, tilting it and dropping my shoulders.

"What, this is my welcoming party? That's unfortunate. I thought since I'm giving you the most valuable document in the Ghoul World, you'd at least have party balloons. I mean really." I said, thrusting my arms out.

The woman took the document, shakily skimming it over.

"A-Akira, these look real."

She narrowed her eyes, taking a step forward. The entire lobby, once buckling with chatter, now was completely silent.

"Why are you doing this?" She said, crossing her arms.

I drew out my kagune, causing them to flinch. Arima stayed cool, his rapier raised to charge. Slowly, I removed my kagune from my back and dropped it on the ground, kicking it towards Akira.

"I want peace. I've almost died countless times in that world, and I want peace. Pay me, give me food, and house me, and I'll be your ultimate mole." I said, lying through my teeth. Or maybe I wasn't. I didn't know yet. Maybe I'd betray Eto, or maybe I'd infiltrate the CCG. That depends on who has the better offer.

"I don't even remember any 'White Night' on record, why should we believe your a good mole?"

"Uh... hello? I just got you the funding documents. And maybe I'm not on your records because I am neutral on the CCG and _didn't_ want to kill you guys?"

I said, placing my hands behind my head.

"I mean really. You guys have no trust."

Akira pulled out her scroll.

"Calling for backup?" I asked, shaking my head. "You guys, I literally just disarmed myself. We're in broad daylight. This isn't exactly rocket science."

She tapped on the phone, placing it in her pocket.

"How deep are you?"

"I..." I said, choosing my words carefully. "Have been all over. A member of the Shifts gang, then in a group formerly known as Anteiku, then allied with MM, the White Fang, a bartender at the Black Dragon Club, which as you could imagine would give me tons of info, you name it. I've been everywhere. I have almost no enemies." I said. Every piece of info I gave was technically correct.

"Why are you defecting?" Arima asked.

"Why does anyone defect? Because they want to be on the winning side! I want protection, a proper home, and the comfort of knowing that the CCG of all things has my ass. I want to live a semi-normal life, or as much as a Ghoul can."

The elevator opened, people flooding out. A girl with white hair pulled back into a ponytail on the side of her head, a blonde haired man, a blue haired man with goggles, and more flooded out of the door.

They surrounded me, lifting up their quinques.

"Lower your weapons." Akira said. "If you are serious, remove your mask."

I chuckled, nodding and turning my head to the white haired girl.

"Oi, snow princess, isn't she just charming? Want's to see my lovely face."

"Remove it."

I turned my head to the side, freezing. Standing with a spear quinque in hand, her hair a flowing red and white, was Pyrrha.

My chest deflated as if I had the wind knocked out of me.

There she was. Pyrrha. Standing just beside me. Alive. She was alive. She was here. I had found her.

"Remove your mask!"

I turned to her, stumbling forward.

"P...P.." I said, covering my masked mouth with my hand. I felt sick, as if I would vomit. Yet regardless, tears welled up in my eyes, one streaming down my face and leaking off my chin.

"Get away from me, ghoul!" She shouted, pointing her spear at me.

I shook my head, my eyes pulled back in horror. I stepped forward, my stomach pressing into the tip of the spear. Babbling incoherently, I let the sword stab into me as I walked into her stationary spear, causing her to flinch in fear.

Blood spilled onto the tile as I walked all the way to the handle of the weapon. Her green eyes filled with terror as I slowly raised my hand to her cheek, stroking above her cheekbone with my thumb.

"Pyrrha..."

I shakily took off my mask, dropping it at my feet.

Her eyes glimmered slightly, as if the sight shocked her.

"Pyrrha, it's me. Jaune Arc. It's me..."

"E-Excuse me?" She asked, stumbling back and swatting away her hand. "What the hell are you doing?"

Akira looked down, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Pyrrha, what's wrong?" I asked, placing my hands on her crossed arms.

"Stop calling me that!" She shouted, stepping back. "I don't know who this Pyrrha person is!"

"But that's-"

"My name is Sasako! Sasako Achilles!"

I felt sick. She was the armored dove I fought earlier?

I turned to Akira, stomping over to her. My hand clamped around her throat, lifting her into the air. People screamed, Arima instantly placing the tip of his sword to the back of my head.

"What did you do to her?! You were there at the battle! What did you do to her?!"

"G-Gack..." She choked.

"Tell me, you bitch!" I shouted. "What the hell did you do to her!"

"Stop it!" Sasako shouted, grabbing my arm. "She didn't do anything! She saved me! I would have died if it wasn't for her!"

I stiffened, lowering the woman to the ground and looking her in the eyes.

"What happened."

"Amnesia. Clinical case, caused by a major concussion, along with the starvation of oxygen for being knocked out for more than minutes. Even with the surgery, some degree of brain damage was unavoidable."

"S...Surgery..." I said, my eyes going blank. "Don't tell me..."

The blonde woman said nothing, staring into my eyes.

"Py-... Sasako... Tell me she didn't..." I said, turning my head. "Tell me you aren't a ghoul."

Akira stiffened, as if the information should have been beyond my knowledge.

"I am a Q, an experimental ghoul human soldier."

I leaned towards Akira, whispering in her ear as I popped my finger.

"The game has changed. You will accommodate me, or your Cardin dies." I said, leaning back. Her eyes stretched open in fear, her hands bending back my fingers.

"L-Let go of me, you bastard! What did you do?! Arima! Arima, kill him!"

The man did nothing, his rapier unmoved against the base of my skull.

"What did you do to Cardin!? What did you do to him!?" She shouted, kicking at me.

"It appears the same as you. He was infected with a bad case of DOS, and became a proto ghoul." I said, furrowing my brow in anger. "We have been using him."

"We?" Arima asked.

I tilted my head.

"I will live with Sasako."

Arima frowned, glancing towards Pyrrha.

"Fine." She said, crossing her arms as I lowered her. Arima turned his head back towards me.

"Aogiri."

The room grew silent, even more so than before.

"I am currently working with Eto, known as the One Eyed Owl, as well as Tatara, and the Midknight Owl. I am, as we speak, planning to infiltrate this agency and eventually take down it's alliance with Atlas and the SDC. Instead, I can be a double agent. My only demand is that you find a way to get Pyrrha's memory back."

"And if we disagree." Arima said, not asking a question.

I turned, looking straight into his eyes as his black rapier rested on my sternum.

"I will single handedly kill everyone you care for."

He scanned my eyes for several moments, as if determining my resolve.

"What is she to you?" He asked.

"What isn't she?"

"What were you to her?"

"I'd like to think the same."

"Who was she?"

"Pyrrha Nikos."

"Does this ring a bell, Sasako?" He asked.

"...No." She said, looking down. He looked towards Akira, as if gauging her reaction.

"We will allow you for now." He said, lowering his rapier. "My condition is this: In the near future, you and I personally will find Cardin Winchester and recover him. Is this understood?"

Sorry Kanou.

"Yes."

"Then welcome to the CCG, White Night."


	21. -:REjoice, The New World Comes

I stepped into the office, taking a sip from my coffee.

"Hey, Arima! Wassup!" I said, holding my hand up for a high five.

He said nothing, staring straight into my eyes. I sighed, lowering my hand.

"Y'know, you remind me of this guy I work with." I said, shaking my index. "Real pain in my ass, he is."

"The meeting is about to start."

"And?"

He sighed, stepping into the room and taking a seat by Shinohara and Juuzo.

I glanced around the table, scratching at my chin.

"There aren't enough chairs for me." I said.

Akira looked away, as if looking down on me. I suppose it was intentional.

"One of you could sit in my lap, if you want." I said, giving a smile.

"Oooh! I like the sass!" Juuzo said, clapping his heads together.

I let my eye grow black.

"I wasn't kidding. Get up."

The room stayed quiet as the others shifted their gaze to me, each a coldhearted glare.

"I'll give it to the nice Mr. Ghoul!" Juuzo said, kicking up. "Only if I get to cut off your arm though!"

"Juuzo, please." Akira said with a sigh.

"Alright, deal." I said, holding out my arm. He gave a grin as he pulled his scythe from his suitcase, slicing it off and sheathing it in a blur of speed. The room flinched in horror as I sat down, blood slowly pouring from my stub.

"Juuzo!" Akira shouted.

"Relax, Miss! I'll get Shinohara to mop it up! We got tiles for a reason!" He said, saluting. Shinohara gave a grumpy groan, tapping the table.

"We'll deal with the blood later. At this point, I just want this meeting over with."

"But sir-" Akira started.

"I agree." Arima said.

Pyr-Sasako- looked down, as if ashamed by my behavior. I felt a slight tinge burn in my chest, a cacophony of shame and anger. No doubt she thought this was her fault, somehow. Yet, at the same time, I'm responsible for my actions, screw off with your idea of me being some kind of dog that your responsible for.

I stayed quiet, though, popping my fingers to release my energy.

"Well..." Akira said. "The White Knight's documents were accurate, from what we could tell. The newest hub for the funding of the Black Dragon Club is none other than the Tsukiyama household."

She paused, letting it sink in.

"We have to assume they are ghouls." She finished.

"Oh... Yeah, they are." I said, biting my lip.

This was the point of no return. The ultimate betrayal. I would forsake my alliances with everyone. Kaneki would probably stop operating with me once he was returned the maddened husk of Yoshimura, and even more so when I betray MM. I can only assume my own group will fall apart, as well, since roughly half of them are from MM.

"I personally worked beside Shuu Tsukiyama. He is an egocentric, mad, selfish lunatic. I admire him for that."

"You see yourself in him." Sasako said, venom pouring in her tone.

"I see humanity in him. He isn't different than any of us." I said, tapping the table, my new arm slowly regenerating. "Now, if we do this, we do this my way."

"Like that's going to happen." Akira said, chuckling.

"Are you forgetting I have your little boyfriend?" I said, standing. "This will end me. By exposing the Tsukiyama family, I forgo all my alliances. Not only that, but no doubt my identity will get out, and I'll be the most hated Ghoul in existence. Both by corporate owners allied with the Tsukiyama family, and the entire Ghoul World, who greatly value the Tsukiyama family. I am destroying my life for you, and so you are going to fucking let me run this mission, or so help me God, I'll bring a fiery hell down on you all." I said, glaring at Arima. "You don't doubt me."

"...I don't." He said.

"So here is how it's going to go. We will raid the house. Tsukiyama will likely escape, that's just how this will function. I've never met Shuu's father, but from what I hear through the Ghoul Grapevine, he put's his son before all. I will direct the troops on site. On the off chance I meet up with an Aogiri member, who may have someone on the Tsukiyama inside, I'll need to update quickly. Arima can go with me, so no funny business happens."

It took some convincing, but they finally gave in.

I stepped out of the room and plopped myself in the empty cubicle, still labeled 'Cardin Winchester.' Akira walked past me, her eyes colder than a blizzard. I let out a slow chuckle, picking up pen and twirling it between my two fingers.

_ding_

I turned my gaze to the elevator as it slowly opened to reveal Sasako. My eyes beat into her back with an intensity I knew she could feel. The way she stiffened when she walked by, or how she looked down and swallowed. As if I wouldn't notice the tendons twitching in her neck, or her throat bouncing as she swallowed. I'm a ghoul, and that was my favorite part.

She was a proud knight when she fought the Midknight Owl. Now look at her. Shy, shameful, confused, and a whole bunch of other complex emotions were just eating away at her.

When she was in my gaze, the world aways slowed. Not exactly like when a schoolboy notices the popular girl, no. At the same time, it wasn't like she was my prey, and that I was slowly stalking her to devour her when she lowered her guard. I suppose my feelings were more complex than I could really comprehend. I could feel a tinge of anger that she didn't run into my arms, despite her condition. Of course, it was egotistical to say, but it was the only fantasy that really helped me stay sane when Kaneki tortured me. The concept that she was still alive, and that she wanted to see me, and would run into my arms...

I feel like the right feeling should be something of a more bittersweet variety. Oh, she was alive and happy with her new life. I should be content with that, right?

It's obvious I wasn't.

My plan had been to watch the world burn, but I guess that didn't last very long. But now what? What the hell should I do? Obviously, I want her memories back. I don't care if that isn't the 'right' choice. If we were talking about 'right' the various Ghouls and Doves I've slaughtered would like a word.

"Hello."

I turned my head to see Sasako pull out a chair, sitting down across from me. She gave a nervous sigh, crossing her legs and placing her slightly shivering hand on her knee.

"Hey." I said, turning.

"I'm..." She said suddenly, turning away. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry Pyrrha Nikos is MIA at this moment. I hope that... that... that maybe..." She said, her voice cracking slightly.

"Sasako..." I said, tilting my head.

"M-Maybe we can restore her at a later point. As a CCG Investigator, it is my sworn duty to give my life for a civilian. Even if this civilian is... me. Pyrrha."

"Please stop." I sighed, placing my hand on her shoulder. "Saying sorry for being you is such a Pyr-Sasako thing to say."

She shook her head violently.

"If Sasako needs to... go MIA in order to return Pyrrha, then that will happen." She said, looking into my eyes.

I sighed, grabbing my coffee cup and placing it in her hands.

"Look at me." I said. Her vibrant green eyes met mine, gleaning in the fluorescent lights.

"What?"

"I'm not going to pretend I don't want Pyrrha back. Or that, to put it bluntly, I hate this 'Sasako'." I said, placing my hand on her cheek. "But the way your acting right now, and the shine in your eyes. The emotions you are feeling. I'd like to think that's just Pyrrha waiting to bubble to the surface. You are her, and she is you. You just don't know it yet.

So I'll tell you a story. A story about a dashing young knight, and the fairest princess in all the land."

"I'm a princess?" She said, giggling.

"What?! No, of course not! I'm the princess, you're the dashing young knight" I said, causing her to laugh. "Anyways, in a kingdom far, far away, long ago or something, the princess was being held captive by an evil ogre. This evil ogre would torture the princess every day, but y'know, with words. Sticks and stones and all that. In that manner of speaking, the castle she was locked up in could have been described as her own mind. Anyways, didn't intend for this to be thoughtful. Ogre guard and be mean to princess, princess no likey."

Sasako rolled her eyes.

"I know, I'm fantastic at storytelling. Anyways. The Ogre relentlessly tortured the girl, but stopped at night. At night, the girl was able to find solace. Everyday the princess dreamed that a knight would save her, and luckily, one day soon it would. The knight grabbed the princess by the hand, looked her in the eyes, saying just one word 'Run'. Together, they ran from the Ogre and his buddies, and they ran and ran."

"It's a nice story. The knight seems nice." She said, giving a bittersweet smile.

"I'm not done. Little did you know this was a tragedy." I said, crossing my arms. "The Ogre was all angry and shit, and a passing Witch noticed how down he was feeling. After watching the Ogre from afar, the Witch decided to curse the Princess. At night, the only time she felt solace, she would grow into a hideous ogre. Y'know, like the girl in shrek."

She rolled her eyes.

"But the point is, the Princess was now a monster. The real Ogres knew who she was, and so, they didn't want her. The kingdom didn't want the Princess either."

"But the knight did?" Sasako said, her lips lifting.

"Well..." I said, scratching at the back of my neck. "Y'know... not at first. The knight ran away screaming. The Ogre felt all bad and such, and eventually found some Ogres that accepted him. Unfortunately, they were a real nasty lot. It turns out, the reason the knight had not spoken for so long was that she was kidnapped." I said, pushing my chair by hers. Gently, I rested my head against her shoulder. She flinched, as if surprised. After some visible internal debate, she caved, and leaned hers against mine.

"What's next?"

"The Princess rescued the Knight, for once. Then they lived happily ever after."

"That's nice." She said, frowning. "But that wasn't the ending, was it?"

"Nope."

"What is?"

"There isn't one, yet." I sighed.

"Well, at least tell me the rest."

I sighed, patting her on the back.

"I guess if you really want me to." I said, glancing up at the spinning ceiling fan. "I'll skip the boring stuff. Remember the original Ogre? He joined this Ogre Mafia."

She threw her head back, giggling.

"An Ogre Mafia?"

"An Ogre Mafia."

She rolled her eyes, leaning her head back.

"So what did this Ogre Mafia do?"

"Well, I'll skip some details, since I don't want to get the original Ogre in trouble, and go straight to the climax. The Knight and the Princess had joined some nice Ogres. They liked humans, and just wanted to live in the kingdom, too. In peace. They couldn't help that they hungered for ear wax soup or eyeball stew, y'know? They tried to eat as little as possible, and only things like dead bodies."

"I... see." She said. I suppose the metaphor was growing a little too transparent.

"Anyways, it was Nice Ogres versus the Ogre Mafia. But, in a twist, the Mafia is actually full of humans. Even the original Ogre is really a human. They tricked the Nice Ogres, since they wanted some other Ogres to join their peaceful group. With ill intent, they attacked. Nearly all the Nice Ogres died."

"That's... sad." She said. "What happened to the knight?"

"Crushed under some rocks, after fighting a certain Ogre."

"Who was that Ogre?"

"You don't want to know."

She nodded, swallowing harshly.

"And the Princess?"

"One Ogre tore her away from her dying knight, and strung her up in the dungeon. It was there the Princess was tortured for nearly a moon."

"Why?"

"The Princess wondered that herself. Believe it or not, the mean Ogre meant well. The reason why is complicated."

"And then?"

"More boring things."

She nodded.

"Jaune?" She said, turning to me.

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me bring her back?" She said. "The knight."

I smiled, standing and patting her head.

"Yeah, I think I can. It probably won't work, but it might. We'll try it after the Tsukiyama raid, alright?"

"Okay." She said, giving a smile. "I think I see why the Knight wanted to save you."

I chuckled, turning on a heel.

"I'll be back in a bit. My Ogre friends want to see me."

...

"Hey, Tatara! Baby!" I said, holding out my arms. "Long time no see."

"You have been gone for 43 hours. What has happened?" He said, crossing his arms. Eto giggled silently in the background, touching her index to her chin.

"Time flies when you're having fun." I said, shrugging.

"Answer. The question." He said, putting intensity into his tone.

"Fine, fine. I'm in. I had to really answer some questions, though. I guess they're going to attack the Tsukiyama household."

"What?!" He said, his eyes stretching open in surprise. "That's impossible!"

"It's true." I said, shrugging. "I already have a good idea, though. At least, a way to secure the Tsukiyamas time to escape."

"Oh?" Eto said, tilting her head back. "What is it, J-Owl?"

"The Owls show up." I said.

"Impossible, you said you need to be at the mission." Tatara said. "And the Owls should be used as uncommonly as possible."

"True, but what if the Midknight Owl, and the White Knight could be at the same place at once?" I said, giving a small smirk.

"Elaborate." He said, crossing his arms.

I summoned my kagune, the black flesh wrapping around my arm.

"This is a Kagune. Simple, and effective." I said, removing it and forming my natural quinque. "And this is a detached Kagune."

"And?"

"We do the very same thing, but with my Kakuja."

He blinked twice in surprise.

"That's possible?"

"I can make it work."

He looked down, his eyes still stretched open.

"If you can manage that, then yes. The operation is on."

I threw my hands in the air.

"It's slaughterin' time!"


	22. -:REvenge

...

**Pyrrha/Sasako:**

The Qs were held back from going on the mission. We were deemed too valuable for risk. After all, if the entire CCG couldn't take them down, a few Qs wouldn't make much of a difference.

I glanced at the open cubicles, a mug of coffee in my hand.

It was a little eerie, how empty it was. It was certain one of these cubicles would lose their owner. I didn't own one myself, yet, so I just took a seat at the upper leftmost one. I set down my coffee and took out my Scroll Phone, taking a small sip. The coffee itself wasn't from the break room, but from a nice new cafe called :RE.

Every time I took a sip, I felt odd. It was absolutely the best coffee I ever had, but it wasn't just the taste that was adding to the experience. There was a certain nostalgia to it which I didn't get. :RE opened up after I became Sasako, so I'm unsure why I feel familiarity drinking it.

I sighed, glancing at the computer screen.

LOGIN:

[USERNAME]

[PASSWORD]

I wasn't given a login, either.

I took a sip from my coffee, something eating away at me. A word, or words, bouncing around at the back of my head. The more I drank, the more I felt like I needed to remember them.

An... Te... ku... Whi...? Nigh?

I typed into the little login screen, trying to map out my thoughts. The username box didnt allow for spaces, so it sort of became a string of letters.

Antekiateikuwhitenightknightwite

I deleted the phrase, trying to retype the only phrase that really made sense.

Whitenight.

No, that didn't work. It's missing something.

A number? No...

Whiteknight.

Yes, thats it.

[PASSWORD]

White Knight, that's what Jaune called himself, right? Why does that mean something to him.

Jaunearc.

I remembered his stupid 'short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it.'

[ENTER]

[WELCOME, WHITEKNIGHT]

It...worked?

Even weirder, it only had one file, as it usually was supposed to have the CCG programs installed. The file was simply labelled

'Cardin'

I clicked on it, pulling up the word file. It opened up a 993 page document, filled with rambles and copied text from odd sources.

[This is Cardin Winchester. If you are reading this, I have to assume you are Jaune Arc. Jaune, I'm afraid I might not be around to give this to you, so I'm leaving this as my acting will. Not in a literal sense, I don't think I have much money to give, but in ideology, and in information.]

Isn't he the AWOL investigator?

[I... I've been doing research. Hacking into the CCG's files. It's surprisingly easy, when you are employed by them. Atlas and them do have a deal struck. From what I can tell, the CCG and Atlas have worked together and have developed two major inventions. The first is what I fear the most. The **JOKER**.]

It had a picture of a hand held device, and pasted sections of various redacted documents.

**J.O.K.E.R [Judgement Object, Killing Equipped Radar]**

[This object can scan the RC Cell levels of a human in less than 30 seconds, and is able to determine a Ghoul. If needed, the device has a taser setting that can introduce enough volts to disable the regeneration of a Ghoul temporarily, so that it may be killed. Production price is ranging at [**REDACTED**], causing it to not be costly for civilians, but appropriate for authorities such as the CCG]

I held my hand to my mouth.

[Mass populous examinations are planned as early as the end of the year. Labelled Project: Beacon]

[That's bad, right? This is evolving to full on Genocide. And for what? Are we pretending like Ghouls don't have feelings? Well, get ready. I might have a plan. It's so out there, but that may be why it works. See, the second invention is this]

**[JVK-1000-7: Strengthened RC Cell Suppression Drug]**

[Report: This drug was developed as a joint operation between the CCG and Atlas Co. This drug's primary purpose was to suppress the Qs, if the situation of their RC count going awry. This also served Atlas, as their leading CEO, Dr. Ironwood, is currently operating alongside the CCG. The deal was struck that this would serve and bind both parties. While the CCG puts Project Beacon into effect later this year, ending the Ghoul threat, Dr. Ironwood would be allowed to live as a functioning human. His RC count would be brought down to a level in which he can eat human food, as well as go undetected in **JOKER** systems. Alongside these benefits, this drug is extremely easy to produce, synthesized based off of the caffeine and other byproducts found in coffee beans.]

[Are you ready, Jaune? I hope you are. Once you read what I have below, I know you'll follow my instructions. You were a human, once. I bet you want to live as one again. For all Ghouls to live as humans. For this war to end. Let's end this, together, even if I may not be here]

My scroll beeped with a text.

_[Jaune]: Meet me in Vale Park, at 1 AM._

...

I grabbed Weiss by the hand, thrusting her forward.

"We're leaving." I said.

"What?" She asked.

"I don't have a drivers license, and you are driving me."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it, okay?! I'll explain later. As your squad leader, I command you."

She gave a 'hmpf', crossing her arms.

"Fine."

...

**Jaune**:

"Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures called Ghouls have many names."

I nodded, looking over to the investigator in the van.

"Are you ready to fight?" I asked him, the man giving a large grin.

"I don't know, I've never fought alongside prey." He joked, stroking his full mustache.

"Well, you're wrong about that. I've hunted many humans in my life." I said, crossing my arms, glancing at Arima. The mustache-wearing man thew back his head in a jolly chuckle, slapping his knee.

"Of course you did, child! You have the blood of a true Ghoul in you!"

"Doesn't that upset you, Investigator Port?" I asked, grinning.

"Please! Call me Peter." He said, waving his hands away. "And why lad, I had hunted 13 ghouls before I even struck puberty! I was tearing apart monsters before I had hair on my chest."

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes. Certainly I had to have killed 14 before my testicles dropped."

I tensed up, giving a chuckle. He threw his head back in more laughter at my discomfort.

"Child! You're a Ghoul! You've likely eaten testicles! Hell, we just hunted one the other day who did! The Nutcracker, they called her. Doesn't the name just make you cringe?"

"Yes." I said, shivering violently.

"I'd hang a stuffed ghoul's head in my house, if my wife didn't find it so odd. I am a huntsman! I need my trophies, dammit!"

"Wouldn't that just look like human heads on your walls?"

"Perhaps, but nevertheless!"

I turned to Arima.

"I love this guy."

He sighed, brushing back his white hair from his eyes.

"Port is one of our best fighters. He's assisting me in watching you, in case you try to trick us."

"Why, the God of Death feels the need for backup? I'm honored." I said, giving a smile and blushing.

I was putting on a playful demeanor, as usual, but I was terrified. Behind the bombastic facade of this new investigator, I could feel animosity. Bloodlust. And while I'm sure he was nowhere as powerful as Arima, he would be quite the fighter.

I could feel my heart pound in fear.

"Anyways, boy, regale us with the plan! How will we take down the Ghoul Nest of the Tsukiyamas?" Port said, leaning on his knee.

"Well, it's an ingenious idea, really." I said, touching my finger to my chin. "We go through the back door."

"That's it? Is it really so easy?"

"Yep." I said, shrugging. "I'd imagine Shuu is going to try to escape out the back. I just wonder if he'll be conscious at the time or not. The guy may be egotistic, but he saved Sasako, back when she was Pyrrha. I may not like him, but he'll fight for the one's he cares about."

"He's a very high ranking ghoul, if he is the Gourmet, as you claim." Port said. "I'm excited to make him into a quinque. I hear his kagune is very beautiful. Probably a little too flamboyant for a huntsman of my caliber, but great for my collection."

"You describe my thoughts perfectly." I said, scratching at my chin.

"And this Aogiri?" He asked. "What of them?"

Explosions erupted, muffled by the loud noises of the truck. The fight was reaching it's climax.

"They'll try to encase the establishment once the troops are inside the manor. To combat this, we'll use the underground Ghoul cavern for transport. It's a giant concrete cavern used to combat flooding. Ghouls use it for, as I said, transport."

Arima narrowed his eyes.

"I'm suspicious of that part. Down there we are exposed."

"I'm open for better ideas, sweetcheeks." I said, crossing my arms and leaning back. "Besides, it's too late now. By this time, the CCG has already engaged the targets."

"We're here! Go! Go! Go!" The troop beside us shouted, kicking open the door of the back of the truck. I drew my kagune, leaping from the car. Glancing up, the back of the manor greeted my gaze, a smile on my lips.

Windows were shattered, fire blazing from the inside. People leaped from the balcony, glowing in the orange flame.

I did this. I caused this destruction.

I gave a small giggle. It wasn't sadistic, I promise that. If you were to see my eyes, I'm sure they would have been stretched open in horror. I had burned everything I had ever known. This was it. I was alone.

There could be no going back, now.

I clenched my eyes shut, trying to calm down and listen to the surroundings.

Helicopters, I heard them whirring. Of the types, I could detect at least 3 radically different sounds, and thus, 3 different models.

"Helipad!" I shouted, pointing to the top of the building. "Ladies and gentleman, get ready! Troops, go up the back staircase! Port, Arima! Grab on, baby!"

Arima furrowed his brow, wrapping his arm around my neck in a choke hold. Should I try anything, my windpipe would be crushed. Port grabbed my legs, his belly jiggling slightly.

Oh boy, this would be fun.

I shot a tentacle from my kagune, wrapping around the pole sticking from the mansion and catapulted myself up above the side, flipping and throwing my babies onto the roof. I landed on my feet, stumbling back and falling to my ass.

"Owch." I said with a wince.

The loud whir of a helicopter deafened all sound, my eyes falling upon the helicopter.

Sure enough, a purple haired man was dragging a knocked out Tsukiyama and strapping him in, brushing back his hair.

He turned to me, frowning slightly. Glasses rested upon the bridge of his brow, a mustache resting on his upper lip. His identity was obvious, he was a famous millionaire.

Mirumo Tsukiyama, Shuu Tsukiyama's father.

I popped my knuckle, tilting my head with a slight crack.

The figure stood tall, the search light illuminating him like an angel. His glasses gleamed as he swallowed harshly, looking at me straight on. I could almost hear his beating heart, which had to have been racing in fear.

Even through the glasses, which where a bright white reflecting the search lights, I could feel... melancholy. Suffering. Desolation.

"Please, leave my son be." He said, leaning his head in and shouting at the pilot to go.

I popped another knuckle, my kagune shooting out and slashing at his leg. He fell to a knee as I walked over to him, glaring into his eyes.

"Murimo Tsukiyama." I said, my eyes glassy. "I did this."

His eyes glistened, tears threatening to build up in the corner of his eyes. I was admitting that this was my fault, that I had done this.

"I... I know you. Jaune Arc, no? Tsukiyama has told me so much about you."

I glanced at the helicopter as it lifted from the ground, flying forward. Port drew his suitcase, pulling out a gun-like and firing it. Pure energy shot from the gun, hitting the tail of the helicopter and erupting into an explosion of fire. The chopper spun, sirens whirring as it fell back down to Earth, crushing and exploding against the ground.

Shuu Tsukiyama was dead.

I held a shard of my kagune to his throat, pressing it against the skin. The blade pierced it slightly, blood trickling down my palm.

"I..." I said, swallowing. Tears burned in my eyes, as I looked into his. "I'm sorry."

He nodded, lowering his head.

"Please... please, fight back." I said, pressing it into his neck harder. "Just... fight back."

"My only goal was to save my son." He said, his glasses slipping off of his face. "There is nothing left, now. My knight is dead. My son is gone."

I gritted my teeth, anger flooding through my muscles. I pushed and sliced his neck, his spine cutting against the blade as I pushed it through the muscle.

"Fuck you!" I shouted, his head rolling off. "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!"

Blood sprayed from the wound, his body falling over. I kicked into the corpse's stomach, tears spilling down my face.

"Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!"

"Jaune!" Arima shouted.

"God dammit! _Fuck you!_" I screamed, collapsing onto the corpse.

"Jaune, we need to go. Stop now." Port said, resting his gun against his arm.

"Fuck! Why?! _Why_?!" I shouted, grabbing his suit in my hands. "Why didn't you fight back?! Why was he that important to you?! Why did you care what happened?! Why couldn't you just care about yourself!? Why didn't you _save_ yourself?!"

Arima shifted his stance, pointing the tip of the rapier at the back of my head.

"Pyrrha! God _dammit_!" I shouted, pounding my fist into his corpse. "Why?! Why can't I just forget you like you forgot me?!"

Arima's suit crackled as his radio started speaking.

_"Unit Alpha, where are you? All Tsukiyama targets eliminated or captured. Ghouls detected around the perimeter, assumed Aogiri. Retreating to the unground."_

"Make your choice, Jaune. It's now or never." Arima said, pressing the tip against my skull.

I bit my lip, his head in my arms. Tears dripped from my chin into his hair, his warm blood pooling in my lap.

I... I couldn't. I just couldn't.

I had try to move on, to forget the past, and to only care about myself. To think nobody else matters. To think I was alone, in body and soul, in suffering and in strength.

I wasn't. I was weak. I was susceptible to the pain of others. I was empathetic.

_**Disgusting**_.

I stood up, popping my knuckle.

A roar erupted through the air, my head falling back. An absolutely mad grin stretched from cheek to cheek, another finger cracking.

Two beasts landed behind me, letting out horrible warcries. The Owls licked their lips, watching their prey.

**"Here this, and weep in fear and awe."** I said grinning.

**"I am the White Night, and I am the Architect of your Destruction."**


	23. -:REality of Death

I popped my finger

and let out a laugh

I threw my head back, my chest heaving as the sound echoed in the exploding sky

**=====Oh====We===Are====Not=====**

**==A====Ghoul===Are====We?=======**

**=====Not=======That====We===are=**

**===========Human=============**

The Owls let loose a guttural growl, saliva dripping from the kakuja's teeth.

"Jaune, this is your last chance to cease this behavior." Arima said, raising the rapier.

"Oh? Is that so, God of Death? Did someone come to give me a gift? To turna blind eye? See no evil? Do you see no evil? I see it! I hear it! I speak it!" I said, my whisper growing into a full on scream.

He bit his lower lip.

"I go back under your wing and? Eventually be locked up in Cochlea? Or made into an honorary Dove, spitting on the Washuu Clan's genocidal intentions for the CCG? Yeah, that's not happening."

"We aren't the bad guys, Jaune. Stop this before you do something you'll regret, lad." Port said, raising his gun.

"Of course not." I said, my kagune popping and bubbling as it wrapped around my arm. "Nobody is bad in this world. I don't believe for a second that there is. It's this world. Its..."

I let my eye dye black.

"A _fuccccckin_' joke."

I shot towards him, the Owls charging behind me. I slid under Port's gun as he raised it, firing it into Eto's Owl.

The Midnight Owl continued forward, crawling over him and shooting a spiked arm towards the Shinigami Arima.

His rapier flowered open, stopping the claws with a spark of electricity. I leaped up, kicking off of the arm and slashing down with my kagune. He spun, kicking the sword away and raising up the gun of lighting quinque.

I crossed my arms as electricity hit me mid air, shooting through my being continuously with nothing to ground down to. With a flop, I hit the ground, twitching and foaming at the mouth.

"Y-You'd think..." I said, slamming my fist into the ground. "That after all I've been through, something that like _wouldn't_ hurt."

He gave the slightest smirk, firing towards me and thrusting the rapier forward. I turned to the side and arched my back, the rapier flying past my lower back. With a grunt, I wrapped my arms behind my back and around the blade, running my feet up along the air conditioner on the roof and kicking off in an attempt to knock the blade from his hand.

He flicked his hand as I flipped, thrusting me into the AC unit and crushing it. With a growl, I thrust it back and stabbed forward, his hand wrapping around the blade and thrusting it up.

The Midnight Owl let loose a storm of RC cell shards at the very moment, the majority of which hitting my stomach. Blood shout from my mouth in a cough, the crimson spilling from my stomach.

**=====He's=====Perfect=====**

Port rolled to the side as the claw of Eto slashed over his head, his rifle quinque firing away with pure power. Eto turned to the side, the blast missing her by a hair.

_I have to get Port out if we even have a chance at killing Arima_

I tore off my sword, thrusting it towards Port's right side. Within a second, I spun around and thrust a punch at Arima. He fired a lightning strike which flew under my arm and to the left of port, the Death God flowering open his shield.

With a sword flying past his right and a lightning strike on his left, Port was trapped. I had but a second to reach him.

I sprinted at the open shield, leaping onto it and pressing my feet against the black flesh. With a scream, I pushed off, flying back and tackling Port. He slammed his elbow into my spine as he stumbled back, cracking it instantly.

Even so, the momentum caused him to trip on the edge of the roof, falling off the multi storied building.

I let out a roar as my spine slowly regenerated, my hand wrapping around my detached organic sword.

I popped another finger, Arima's brow furrowing.

"I see."

He raised his rapier.

"You are the Midknight Owl, White Knight."

I chuckled.

"How did you figure it out?"

He paid no attention to the question.

"Who is on the inside of the Kakuja?"

"You find out the hard secret, but not the easy one? For shame."

I charged forward, Eto swinging her arms downwards. the blades of her forearms turned into literal swords, Arima raising his rapier over his head. The organic swords hit him with such force the concrete cracked beneath his feet, Arima's face hardly twitching.

The Midknight Owl shot its hand forward at the opening, Arima's brow twitching. His knee shot up, extending as his boot kicked away the claw. I took the opening, thrusting my sword towards his head.

He gave a grunt, pulling his head back.

The sword grazed his cheek, a slight hair of red slicing open.

He headbutted the blade away, thrusting his rapier forward and darting back, blood slowly trickling down his cheek.

_We've hurt him._

"I'm sorry things turned out this way." Arima said, flicking the blood from his sword. "Should things have been different, I would liked to have been a mentor to you."

I gave a small chuckle.

"Yeah." I said, popping my broken radius back into my arm, the skin slowly healing beneath my fingertip. "But that's how the cards were dealt, right? the Joker versus the Jack."

He have a small smirk, sprinting forward. I ducked as the rapier missed my face by a hair, thrusting a punch up towards his gut. His hand reacted instantly, sweeping around my wrist and spinning my over his shoulder.

He pinned me on the ground, his foot on my chest and my arm twisted in his hand. The god stabbed into my stomach, blasting lightning into it.

I let out a scream, but at least I was mostly grounded against the concrete, causing the lightning to lose most of its power. The blood, however, kept some of the charge.

**====F====F====_Fuck_=========**

The Midknight Owl brought its claw down, Arima's quinque flinging from my body and flowering open into a shield. I grabbed his leg and slashed at it with my kagune, cutting his Achilles tendon.

He gave a grunt as his leg sagged, thrusting his good foot into my stomach and kicking me away.

I rose, the Midknight Owl clicking its teeth together. It's mouth slowly opened as its body sagged, the puppeteer of the kakuja slowly crawling out.

His eyes were ablaze, the White of his eyes a bright scarlet. Tears of blood dripped from his eyes, his hair a ruffled mat of grey. His skin was full of pimply growths, large spider like appendages sprouting from his back

**"Akira... Akira... Arima's... Arima's... I... Cardin.."**

It was Cardin Winchester, the Black Dove.

Arima's face twitched in surprise at seeing him, as I slowly crawled back into my kakuja and took control.

"Car...din?" Arima asked.

**"I'll save everyone... I'll kill everyone... I'll be a monster, Akira. I'll burn the world! I'll tear the beating heart out of everyone I don't like!"** He screamed, thrusting his head back in laughter.

Cardin shot forward suddenly, at a speed no eye could focus on, and shot his spiderlike claws into Arima. The man, with instant reflexes, flowered his shield open in the exact moment it needed to.

The claws pulls back as more shot towards it, several sprouting from Cardin's back and firing into the shield.

It was a blur of motion, thousands of tendrils shooting into the black shield. While Arima remained unmoved, tiny hairline fractures raced across his shield, showing the slightest of stress.

Cardin was inside my detached kakuja, using it like a puppet, or maybe a giant organic mech quinque.

But he was the Ace, in this situation. The Eto Owl and I are just backup.

Eto shot another barrage of shards, my claws shooting forward.

Arima grunted, turning and grabbing the shards midair. They fell to the ground as his hand shot through the air, his perfect reflexes gauging where the shards would be exactly.

His knee came up and absorbed the impact of my claw, his arm still twisted back to block the storm of attacks from Cardin.

Suddenly, the Black Dove shot the the right, slashing upwards with his tendrils towards the hand that held the rapier. At the same time, I slashed across at his feet, Eto letting out another storm.

Blood.

Blood spilled.

It was Arima's. His hand had fallen off.

It was a spectacle. He threw the rapier in the air just as his hand was cut off, leaping and flipping to dodge my claws. He spun midair, dodging the other tendrils of Cardin and grabbing his floating quinque with his remaining hand. It flowered open, blocking the rest of the storm of shards that he hadn't already evaded, landing elegantly.

But his hand was stuffed in his pocket, as if to hide his injuries. Unfortunately, the white of his suit was dyed a deep red.

You could see it in his eyes. It wasn't fear, nor anger, nor any real emotion. But it was an acknowledgment. That he might fall. That the Death God might be given what he had blessed others with for so long.

Cardin shot forward again, foam falling from his mouth.

Thousands of attacks were being fired within a second, between Eto, Cardin, and I. And even so, he dodged or blocked every single one, for another twenty minutes.

A thousand a second, six thousand a minute, one hundred and twenty thousands attacked dodged by the three most powerful beings on the planet, even in his weakened state. Yes, Cardin was even more powerful than Tatara. In fact, the reason he wasn't here was he was still recovering from the damages from his attempt of getting Cardin in my Kakuja.

But eventually it happened. I had thrust my claws forward in a fist, Cardin firing another barrage. His shield flowered open, and snapped.

Time paused.

We had received massive damages in the twenty minutes. Cardin had lost his head twice, and was currently missing an arm. I had been stabbed thousands of times, and my kakuja's chest was filled with scarred tissue. Eto was much of the same, her limbs cut repeatedly. She just rested on the ground, all her limbs still regenerating as she fired more shards.

And Arima had only lost a hand.

Yet in that moment, the battle turned. It had ended.

He didn't react when it shattered, only pushing forward. He sprinted, using the remaining tip of the rapier and stabbing Cardin in the chest. He spun, thrusting the man away and firing his canon towards me. It hit me, sending energy through my system as I twitched.

Eto's shards fired, Arima turning as he fired and grabbing at least a hundred shards. But even still, in those two seconds Eto had fired, at least ten of the three hundred shards fired had plunged into his chest.

He reacted minimally, only a small grunt and furrow of the brow before Cardin was back on his feet and attacking the man.

Tendril and claw of mine and being redirected by his rapier, but it finally happened.

Cardin's tendril twitched midair due to the electric attack, redirecting itself only an inch to the left. Even so, Arima, in the madness of the thousand attacks per second, had calculated that it was an inch to the right. It had to be an inch to the right.

The tendril grazed the side of the broken rapier, slashing across his remaining arm and plunging into his heart.

It was over. The CCG's best fighter had fallen. The Death God had died.

He fell to his knees, blood pouring from his wound. In his last dying moments, he let out a scream more wild than any beast, grabbing Cardin's head and tearing it off, spine and all. Arima flicked the head to the right, slicing the body apart with its own spinal cord. He became a haze of movement, until the body of Cardin was nothing but mush.

It would not regenerate. The Black Dove was dead.

He stumbled, blood spilling from his lips as he choked.

I left my kakuja, popping my finger and sighing.

The battle still raged on outside the rooftop, explosions and gunfire decorating the night sky. The light illuminated his face, his cracked glasses falling from his face.

He flopped down in a pool of his own crimson.

Eto left her Owl, poking the corpse.

"Is he really...?"

I nodded, joy filling her face.

"We... Killed him? We really did it? We killed him?! Oh, Tatara will be more than thrilled! I-I don't even have words for how happy this makes me! J-Owl, we killed Arima!" She giggled, running to me and wrapping her arms around me. Her breasts pressed against me, her medical tape not fully wrapped around her body.

Eto's eyes glanced up into mine, the biggest smile on her face. She leaned in, pressing her lips against mine and running her hand through my hair.

My grip tightened on my kagune.

I placed my hand on her back, flipping the sword around and impaling the both of us.

She let out a small choking sound, her hot breathe hitting my neck. You could hear the confusion and the betrayal in tone.

"W...Wh...What?" She whispered.

We Owls are Ukakus, we do horrible after long battles like the one with Arima. She's exhausted, and let down her guard finally in the high of killing the God known once as Arima. Her type doesn't have great regeneration, either. To top it off, she disconnected from her kakuja, so her main weapon is gone. She dies here.

"I'm sorry. I'm leaving Aogiri." I said, pulling the sword upwards. I cut apart my shoulder, doing the same to her. In my damaged state, I flipped the sword around, slicing her limbs off. Before she could recover, I pinned her to the concrete, stabbing my sword into her upper spine and leaving it there. I tore open her back, my left shoulder flopping around, my teeth tearing out her kakuhou. It was so inflated that I couldn't swallow it whole, so I tore it in two and stuffed it down my throat.

She let out a scream as I tore off her head, slowly pulling the sword downwards and cutting her in two.

I fell back, panting as my shoulder slowly healing. Eto did not.

Three gods had fallen


	24. -REturn of the Second Knight

**A/N: one or two people were unsatisfied about Eto's whimpy death last chapter. Just wanted to say, that unlike Arima who was in full battle mode, Eto had her guard completely down. In the 'cloud nine' happy state of killing Arima, she finally lowered her guard and lowered it absolutely. She also had detached from her kakuja, and being an ukaku, was exhausted from the fight and doesn't have amazing regen. I'll edit this in to the last chapter for future readers, I recommend you reread the last few paragraphs of it if you are unhappy.**

I pushed myself forward in the swing set, kicking my legs forward. Blood stained my once white outfit, thousands of holes caused by Arima's IXA decorating it.

The swing set squeaked slightly, the midnight moon hanging in the sky, covered by a slight haze of darkened cloud.

My neck twitched, popping.

The playground faded in and out, threatening to go back to that forever fall, that crimson forest.

I took a deep breath, calming my beating heart. Placing my hand over my chest, I closed my eyes and felt its soft and quick thump.

I was now an enemy of all. Aogiri, CCG, :RE, Atlas, the Black Dragon Club, and what was left of MM.

I let the wing blow through my dirty white hair, leaning my head back. I think I rested there for an hour, just calmly swinging. Every once and a while the flickering would come back.

The dark sky flickered to a mid day, the leaves a lovely scarlet. Then, back to night, as snow slowly started to fall.

Ruby stepped forward.

Flickering to Eto.

And then Pyrrha.

Then to her CCG, white suit wearing form, Sasako.

"I came." She said, tilting her head with a smile. "Sorry for being late."

"Sorry...?" I asked, raising my head. "Is that my favorite Canadian?"

"Blood tests show I'm Greek."

I smiled, her face a blur. Cardin. Arima. Neo. Cinder. Torchwick. Adam. Tsukiyama.

"Pyrrha, I'm leaving the CCG." I said, standing.

"That's silly." She raid, rolling her eyes. "Arima would kill you."

She meant it jokingly, as if he would disapprove.

"Arima is dead." I said, my eyes glassy and unfocused. I wouldn't let me see that face again. I couldn't be tempted anymore.

I didn't know what I want anymore. To help the world, or to help myself. To become the most hated being in existence, but unite and save humanity and ghoulkind, or indulge myself in pleasure. This middle ground was causing nothing but pain.

Well, the world was.

I placed my hand on her cheek, focusing on those brilliant green eyes.

"He's... Dead?"

"I killed him."

Her eyes stretched open. In fear of me. In grief of her dead friend. Even so, she didn't knock away my hand. Slap me, like I wanted her to. Burn the bridge so I had to chose one path.

Tears welled in her eyes, slowly dripping down her cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb, placing my other hand on her other cheek and holding her head in my hands. I pressed my forehead to hers, closing my eyes.

"I'm going to fix everything."

"You can't." She said, shaking her head.

"Yes, I can. I just.. Want to do something before I go. Fill a desire I didn't even know I've had for so many years." I said, lifting her chin up gently with my curled up index finger.

I pressed my lips against hers, closing my eyes.

At first her lips flexed and tightened, as if she was going to pull away. It was another chance for her to burn the bridge, to cast me aside. Maybe I would really fix the world, if she did.

But she didn't. Her arms slowly raised and wrapped around my neck, my hands falling to her hips.

She cut it off, not so much as choice, but as she was sobbing. She fell to her knees, crying out as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Sasako?" I asked, taking a knee.

She said nothing, as if a wave of emotions so intense, no, a flood of it, had hit her square in her chest.

I took her hands by her wrists, lowering them from her eyes. They were unfocused, staring at something far beyond me.

"Sasako? Sasako, what's wrong?"

"I... I..." She stuttered. "Why is it day time? Why are we so young?"

I furrowed my brow.

"Jaune, why are you calling me Pyrrha, then? Why do you have blonde hair, then?"

...then?

"And your eyes. They're a deep blue, not red. Why were they like that?"

"Pyrrha?"

She blinked.

"Yeah?"

She responded. She responded to her name.

"You... You remember?"

She covered her mouth with her hands.

"I won the junior high volleyball tournament when I was 14. I went on to get a scholarship when I was 16. I remember having a party to celebrate, my parents were so happy for me. I remember hugging them. I.. I remember."

I swallowed, my eyes threatening to water.

"I remember moving to Vale again, and I remember relaxing at a café called Anteiku."

She blinked.

"I.. I remember. You were hit by a train. Yeah, a train. You... You turned into a Ghoul. You weren't before then, were you? And.. And I got so scared when you showed me, I ran away screaming. Some man... Wait, a Tsukiyama? A Tsukiyama kidnapped me... And... And..."

She shook her head, burying it in my chest.

"You saved me. And... And... I remember. Everything. The raid, how Akira nearly killed me... Wait, what the hell?! Akira nearly killed me?!"

I let out a chuckle, holding her head to my chest.

"I guess Kanou was right in the diagnosis that a powerful experience would bring back your memories. You must have reason wanted that kiss." I said, laughing.

She turned away, her face a bright red.

"Wait! Kanou, my doctor, was the same guy who made you into a Ghoul?! He like... Did exams on me! Y'know, indecent ones!" She said, her face flushing even redder.

"Eh?" I said, tilting my head.

Oh, a pelvic examination?

I let out a small chuckle.

"I'm glad you're back." I said.

There was an odd silence.

"Er.. Um... I should go save the world now." I said, standing and scratching at my head. "Super Ghoul man to the rescue, yay..."

She gave a giggle.

"I came to join you anyways. Sasako did, I mean. I found some files on Cardin's computer, you'll want to see it." She said, crossing her arms. "Oh, I just remembered! I was the 'Rogue' right before I died, right? That was the alter ego I made where I had the shotgun?"

"Uh... Yeah?"

"Sweet! I can be that now! I can also really pass as a Ghoul now that I have a kagune."

"Well have Uta make you a mask."

"Uta? Oh, Uta!" She said, relishing in the memory. "Come on, I'll drive. We'll go back to my place to plan."

I followed her back to her car, which was a large truck, complete with a section in the back for prisoners.

"You'll have to sit in back, I have someone up front." She said, climbing inside.

"Sure... What what?!" I shouted, running over. The window rolled down, revealing Weiss.

"Hello."

"Snow Princess?!" I said, shaking my head. "Any more surprises?"

"Yeah, actually. I didn't realize we had someone else in the back."

"Who?"

"I don't know, some Ghoul. I got another investigator back there to keep her company.

I tore open the back door, climbing in.

"Black Cat?! Blake?!" I shouted. "What the hell?!"

She sighed.

"Hello, J-Owl."

"J-Owl? How do you know my Aogiri name?"

"Dr. Kanou placed me here and told me I'd be taken to you as per some deal or something. I guess he knew the investigators were coming."

"And they just went along with it?"

"I mean, I guess. The alarms started blaring, so they sort of just hopped in, were like 'who the hell, how?!' and went with it."

"I have problems with that mission on so many levels." I said, shaking my head. "But whatever, who are you?"

I turned to the short investigator by her side, who kicked at the air. She had deep bags under her eyes, and her blue hair was held up in twin tails.

"Saiko... Why are we up so late? I wanna sleep..."

I blinked twice.

"Nice to meet you?"

...

"That's... crazy enough it might just work." I said, tapping the table and looking towards the computer.

"It'll be a pain, I'll probably have to stay up really late..." Saiko said, tapping her chin. "But I can do it."

"I guess you're _psycho_ enough to try?" I said, grinning a grin far too large.

She rolled her eyes, Pyrrha slapping me upside the head.

"You're at the core of this operation. Pay attention."

"How much does attention cost?" I asked.

"What?" She asked, tilting her head.

"It... it was supposed to be a joke. Y'know _pay_ attention? How much does 'attention' cost? No? Okay..." I said, scratching at the back of my head.

"I can tell you I didn't miss your jokes as Sasako." Pyrrha said, rolling her eyes. "But you think you can do it, Jaune?"

I smiled.

"Definitely."

...

**Akira:**

The sky was a cold gray, rain threatening to pour down on the already cold day. It was only a degree above freezing, so the water would likely be a slushy texture. Which, I suppose, described us. We stood in the graveyard, the grave open and ready for it's next coffin. The best was saved for last, Shinohara had said.

Neptune scratched at the back of his head, trying to avoid making eye contact with the coffin that held Arima. Even though they had never shared an investigation, it was obvious his death had meant something to him. I suppose that was the type of guy he was. Someone, who with no words, or visible emotions, could leave an impact on you. Make you strive to better yourself, to become the level of divinity he had managed to achieve.

The current situation was... dreary. It was more than just the mourning of his death, but the mourning of what his death represented. We called him the God of Death for a reason. You couldn't kill a god. He was the one, unchanging variable in the constant deaths of the CCG. That no matter how tough the fight, no matter how bad it got, Arima could handle it. He could push through, and do it without the slightest change in expression.

But now the CCG as a whole felt... weak. I think us investigators got a little high off of the power. We started detaining and slaying Ghouls for the fun of it, not to protect our city.

It made me think, to question my values.

I should be angry, I should be burning with hate towards Ghouls. How dare they take him from us! After my father, Amon, and Cardin, they take him too?

But that wasn't the case. Instead, a soft, somber, and quiet voice inside my head just asked... "Why?" Not so much as 'why me' as much as just 'why do we kill?' What do we gave to gain from hurting others? We started this CCG because the Ghouls kill our own, but in doing so, we kill them. And in that, we are no better than the monsters we make them out to be. But really, what's the other option? Ghouls kill to survive. Like it or not, letting them live causes more death. A ghoul in its life time with naturally need to kill more than one person, and thus, the death outweighs letting them live. In the greater good, Ghouls must die.

The bamboo, the panda's only real food source, I think is a good example. The bamboo feeds the panda, provides the habitat for the panda, and yet still the pandas are endangered. The bamboo gives up itself to feed the panda, and the panda is so... entitled that it decides 'I think I will die. I need not breed with that other panda'.

And the bamboo just lets the panda feed on it, munch on it, and devour it. I think this was us before the CCG. I'm debating if it was truly worse or better. Murders were higher, then. But at the same time, Ghoul Terrorism didn't exist. Aogiri was more of a... yakuza, a mafia, then a terrorist group. MM was in its golden age, but since they are so selective on food, the amount of actual people dying were rather low. This, of course, was a long, long time ago.

I put my finger to my chin.

13.35 million people lived in Vale. It was big. 13,350,000,000. No small number. Ghouls likely made up only maybe 1% of the population. Enough that some of the masses doubt they even exist, or have ever seen them. Enough that the idea of a 'ghoul' can be something like a boogieman, something you tell your kids to scare them. Enough where nothing is known about their biology. Enough, that despite all they kill, the public questions if the death toll is really attributable to these 'ghoul', or is just a really high suicide rate this year.

I took out my scroll, pulling up the calculator.133,500 Ghouls. More than enough to run all of the Ghoul Organizations we know of.

That's still 13216500. More or less 13 Million.

Death rate in Vale per year: 9.51 per 1000 as of this year. That's the nation's death rate, but we'll apply it to tokyo. It should actually be lower due to the oddly high suicide rates in Vale. This death rate apparently does not account for humans who died to ghouls, or diseased reported to be Ghouls, which we have a very good program for finding out with morticians.

That's 125,688.915 dead. Might be more or less, probably more. That's just barely under the amount of Ghouls. Well, still 7,800, but maybe we could work with that.

Even still, Ghouls need to feed every month. That said, all the feeding murders I've seen have only had selective parts torn or eaten away. Their stomach, thighs, arms, etc. One human might be enough to feed a Ghoul for a year. And we do have roughly 1000 Ghouls detained in Cochlea, whom we purposely barely feed.

This, of course, also assumes every single dead body is fed to a ghoul. Dead bodies and what happens to them. are inherently very religiously involved. If homosexual marriage was that much of a pain in the ass to get passed, and that's probably nothing compared to how the religious care about this. But, maybe, just maybe, we could pass a mandatory law for corpse collection. It's not against any constitution or amendments, right? 6000 Ghouls would be able to be handled by the normal police, not even needing the CCG. Maybe we'll exist just to wipe out the extra 6000 per year. After all, that's not too much higher than our kill rate per year.

I tried to not get lost in the numbers, and just keep calm and focus. We might be able to coexist, if we balance everything just right. Maybe we could invest in cheap RC Cell suppression. Right now the patent was held by Ironwood, but that should dissolve in as little as 2 years. Once it comes into public domain, it might become reasonable to actually have some of the upper-middle class and above Ghouls 'become human'. That could easily wipe away that last 6000.

I swallowed harshly, looking at Arima's coffin. No more burials would happen. I would be feeding the dead to Ghouls. Every year the government would need to find just the right ways to tip the scales for balance.

...

I walked up to the desk, placing my hands on the desk.

"Yes, miss, how may I help you?"

"Akira Mado. I'm with the CCG, we were told we had an appointment with Ironwood."

We were in Atlas Co.'s HQ, located in the 13th ward. It was a skyscraper of massive proportions, which only made sense. Ironwood was by far the wealthiest man in Vale. He had patents on thousands of crucial inventions in the modern world, especially in Ghoul Investigation. The skyscraper was almost a miniature city, really. Ironwood and his most trusted and needed advisers, researchers, and alike lived here in apartments, doing research in the building. Floors 40 and below were the busybody jobs. PR, financial, stocks, etc. Above that where the apartments, massive laboratories, and platforms to test technology. It wasn't the biggest skyscraper in Vale, despite the description. Even so, it dwarfs anything in the area.

"Yes Ma'am, you're right here. Dr. Ironwood will see you now."

I stepped in the elevator, pressing the button. Shinohara was at my right, Neptune and Juuzo to my left. The latter two seemed uncomfortable in their suits, but I demanded that they wear it.

It was the perfect amount of awkward in the elevator. 40 floors until the break room, and not a word was spoken, just how I like it. On top of that, I got the lovely view of Juuzo and Neptune twitching at the uncomfortable silence.

_Ding_

The doors slowly slid open, letting out its calming ding. We walked down the hall, pulling open the glass door. All in the room stood, my eyes instantly falling on the devil in the room.

His jawline was strong, the sides of his hair a chalky white. The top of his hair was a black, creating a salt and pepper effect. His face was handsome in the way he probably wasn't a stud when he was younger, but had aged like fine wine.

"Ah, Ms. Mado, Mr. Vasillias, Mr. Juuzo, and Mr. Shinohara. Welcome. Please, take a seat." He said, taking his seat.

He took the time to greet every one of us? I'd never waste the energy, but I appreciated the effort. We took out seats.

It was time to start our business.


	25. -:REvolution Bloodless

**A/N:**

**Getting close to the grand finale, I think.**

A nice, satisfying pop escaped my knuckle as I drank from my mocha. The cracking sound carried nicely in the heavy atmosphere.

"So, Kaneki." I said, giving an awkward grin. "Yeah..."

He tilted his head, the corners of his lips turned downwards.

"Get out." He said, his eye turning black.

"Hold on." I said, chuckling and raising my hands. "Just here to talk."

"And I couldn't care less." He said, popping his finger.

"Okay, okay, I know you hate me. I may have killed Tsukiyama-"

"That's the one thing you haven't done."

"...Eh?"

A door opened in the cafe, a tall man walking out from the right. He turned, his eyes hardened and black with the Ghoul Kakugan. I swallowed harshly at seeing him. The upper left side of his face was burnt to a crisp, black flaky flesh covering his left eye.

"T-Tsukiyama?" I asked, stuttering.

"Yes, 'tis I." He said, his sword spiraling from his back. "That crash did quite a number on me. Luckily, the helicopter landed sideways, not head on. When it collapsed, it collapsed perpendicular to I, and thus, didn't hurt me other than some shrapnel. The explosion, on the other hand..."

"Why haven't you regenerated the skin?" I asked.

"The burn was so thorough on my face that the blood vessels leading to the section boiled and popped. For all intents and purposes, it was a hunk of dead skin attached to my face. I could go in and tear it off, and let it regenerate, but I wish to keep it like this. As a reminder." He said, standing next to Kaneki. "Now, leave my Kaneki, else I decide to finally see what a Half-Ghoul tastes like."

"I'll trade you an arm to not kill me." I said, holding out my arm. "Take it, I'll regen."

He chuckled.

"Lovely attempt, Jaune. But your flesh lacks the_harmony_ that Kaneki's has." He said, covering his mouth with his hand.

I cleared my throat.

"I want your help."

Tsukiyama gave a 'pfff', throwing his head back in laughter.

"Oh?! The boy thinks after his actions, we will help him!"

"To be fair, Kaneki started it with that torturing."

He shifted uncomfortably, popping his pinkie.

"Anyways," I said, glancing at my watch. "This is on a schedule. We have only 24 hours startiiiiing now."

They both raised an eyebrow.

"Saiko hacked into Atlas Co. HQ. It was a really beautiful thing. When you think 'hacking', you think smashing on a keyboard and breaking through some firewalls or something. Not what happened. She's there, right now, as we speak, with the CCG under the guise of an investigator. Well, I mean, she is one. They're there to test out an invention called the J.O.K.E.R System."

"A handheld Ghoul Scanner" Ozpin said, walking in and tapping his cane down. "Welcome to :RE, Jaune."

"Pleasure to be here."

"Please, continue." He said, sipping from his drink."

"Anyways, she, being a Q, is being gifted one of theJ.O.K. along with the rest of the remaining Q squad. That's why she's there, anyways. She's got a flashdrive with a very particular .avi file on it, as well as a program to play that file. Should the file need some more help playing, I have another very special hacker back home that'll break down anything stopping it, since he'll be connected to the system the moment it goes live. On top of that, should she be discovered, she has a clock on her scroll phone. It's only counts down from 60 minutes. She can reset it at any point. If, she does not reset it with her own password, it will upload the whole scandal online. . Genocidal intentions, Atlas Co. being lead by a Ghoul, it's inventions to further Ghoulkind, the CCG's involvement in it, etc, etc, etc. Should the phone break, it still will upload due to the time being held on a website of her own creation. They could maybe take out the website, but by then it's too late. No way around it!" I said, throwing back my hands.

"What's the .avi file?" Ozpin asked.

I gave a grin.

"I'll save the surprise for later."

"What are your intentions?"

"_Viva La Revolución, _baby!" I said, laughing. "The Glorious, bloodless revolution 2.0, baby! So tell me, boys! Are you gonna stay here, wanking in your coffee, or are you gonna _live?!"_

...

**Akira:**

"Interns, please fetch our lovely guests their J.O.K.E.R systems." Ironwood said, smiling. "5 prototypes, just for your Q squad. On top of that, we pledge our assistance when Project Beacon goes live. All I request is a steady supply of food, and a 'witness protection program' of sorts to make sure my... ghoulishness is never revealed. A simple deal, but I felt that such a momentous occasion should be held in person. After all, time _is_ of the essence."

"What about the Knight program?"

"Oh, I assure you both Goliath and Knight units have reached their final stages. We already have multiple prototypes of each unit that we are willing to include in the deal."

I tapped my chin.

"We get the blueprints to at least one, as insurance. We can't have you bottle-necking our forces and how many units we have, I hope you understand. To do so is to become a marionette to the Atlas Company."

"Of course. We will be generous and offer you the Knight unit instead. While not as powerful, I imagine they would craft a majority of the squad's numbers."

"Yes."

"Well, is that all? Should we discuss the future plan of the Beacon plan? It might benefit us, and I don't want to make the long trip all for this. Interns, please get us some coffee." He said, giving a soft smile.

"Err, is there an extra?" Neptune said, holding up two J.O.K.E.R systems.

Ironwood furrowed his brow.

"There were 5 to be prepared, correct? I believe they were Akira, Neptune, Juuzo, Shinohara, and Saiko, no? Those where the names included." He said, glancing around.

"Oh yeah, where is Saiko?" Neptune asked. "I don't remember her in the elevator."

I frowned, the door opening.

"Sorry, sorry!" She said, her eyes drooping. "I had to use the bathroom, so I went across the way to , then fell asleep on the toilet." She said, blushing profusely.

"Oh, well, I'm glad you are here now." Ironwood said, turning his chair to the TV behind him. "Here, I'll pull up a map of the city. I want to know which wards go first in the program. Saiko, your J.O.K.E.R system is right there."

She lifted it up, flashing her gaze to Ironwood. For a second I felt just a tinge of animosity, as if Saiko intended to use it on him. I rolled my eyes at the thought, Saiko always had that cranky look.

The interns handed out the coffee and turned on the television.

It displayed the news, at first. Then a commercial I knew all too well. It had pictures of homeless, and other sad pictures of people. At the end, it simply asked 'Ghoul or Human'? After, it said 'Does it matter? The White Fang Association. True Equality'

Yes, the White Fang had officially gone peaceful, from what the CCG could tell.

The intern switched it to HDMI, plugging it in to a desktop at the side. loads of wires were hooked up to it, including power cords and ethernet cables, making it look almost furry with the absurd amount.

It flickered, and gave static.

The city of Vale showed up- and flickered away- only to return for a split second- then it was gone.

"Are we experiencing technical difficulties?" Ironwood chuckled. I took a small sip from my coffee, a face flickering onto the screen.

It was the Midknight Owl.

**"Hello, one and all. Atlas Co. and the City of Vale. I am the Midknight."**

"What is this?" Ironwood chuckled, looking back and forth.1

**"At this moment, I have a bomb planted within the HQ of Atlas Co. Not one, though. I have several C4s planted along the structural steel pillars located at the -4F floor, ready to be activated. These bombs are set to go off in 24 hours."**

Ironwood's eyes hardened.

"What the hell is this, get this off my screen!"

**"Should you disarm all these bombs, I will personally destroy the building. As an official SSSS ranking Ghoul, the only of its kind, I think it should be in no question that this is within my power. This is not Ghoul Terrorism, this is me using my assets to achieve what I desire. And my desire is to take down the man who created me. Should this attack fail, you will learn what that comment means. That is all, Midknight Owl out."**

It ended, Ironwood's eyes stretched open in fear.

"What was that?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Created?"

He pulled at his suit, shaking his head.

"I must ask you all to leave, now. In the interest of the safety of my employees, I must evacuate the building. Excuse me while I call the police for a bomb squad." He said, walking towards the door.

"Is the information accurate?" I asked. "The floors, and the plans? the -4F and the support beams. Could it be taken down like that? Did they really have true intel?" I asked.

He cleared his throat.

"Many months ago we had a breach in security, it had to have happened on the inside. I don't mean to pry, Ms. Mado, but we suspect it was Investigator Cardin Winchester. He must have come in on his own, or perhaps with the early negotiation team for the planning of Project Beacon. Several data plans were stolen, as well as intel on Atlesian affairs, but that was it. Now if you'll excuse me."

He said, turning to the door.

"I have a bomb threat to deal with."

...

**Jaune:**

I rested on the rooftop, taking out a snack and throwing it in my mouth. The jerky tasted great, almost as good as the taste of success. The fake bomb threat had worked. There were, of course, no actual bombs. C4 is hard to come by!

No, the goal was to evacuate the building.

Did you like the bit where I personally gave the middle finger to Ironwood, saying I'm rebelling against my creator? If Kaneki was right, so long ago, Ironwood was the actual surgeon who helped Kanou make me into a half ghoul. I knew that comment would get under his skin. He knew, given my past record, I wasn't foreign to slaughtering others.

Saiko was officially back at the CCG with Ironwood (who held him for protection purposes.), and was on the inside. The media had exploded with the bomb threat, and it was on every major news outlet.

The time was 1:24 in the morning. It was a lovely night, or day I think. The sky was black, but I'm not sure if it's considered day or night. Either way, it was lovely.

Atlas HQ was beautiful. It rested in the only district not incredibly... metropolitan. It stood in the middle of a giant lot, far away from any other buildings. There were grasses, fountains, and lovely hedges. To top it off, at the end of the massive lot, there was a large fence. A ghoul could probably leap over it, but a human couldn't.

It was the _perfect _fortress.

I grabbed my walkie-talkie, speaking into it.

"Team RWBY, go, go, go!"

"Roger." Blake said, shooting forward. The three ghouls and investigator shot forward under the night sky, leaping over the fence. Weiss, being a Q, was also able to leap over it with relative easy.

"Look's like I'm _over_ and out." Yang said, giggling.

"Ugh, Ghouls." Weiss said, shaking her head.

"Let's go guys! We're almost there!" Ruby cheered.

They sneaked inside, entering the building.

"Ground lobby secured. We'll see if there are anyone else." Weiss reported. She, like me, had fantastic hearing. I could hear over the radio her clacking her tongue. In the absolute silence, it would create an effect of echolocation. The clicking of her tongue would echo through multiple floors, mapping it out for her.

"Nobody on any floors at least up to 30. We'll go up and secure the rest. You guys are clear to join."

Ren placed his hand on my shoulder, turning to Nora.

"Oh, I'm so excited! My first terrorist mission!" Nora cheered. Ren placed a finger on his mouth, shaking his head.

"Oh, right, quiet." She said. Pyrrha smiled, glancing through her sniper and scanning the lot.

"Team TKO, are you there?" I asked. "Team Total Knockout?"

"Yes." Ozpin said. "Ozpin reporting in."

"Kaneki reporting in."

"Tsukiyama, yours truly, reporting."

"You are clear to move in. Stay on ground level until the all-clear from team RWBY." I said into the radio.

Under the night sky, the three shot forward, leaping clear over the fence. They vanished, the silhouettes, entering the building.

"We're in." Kaneki reported.

"Floors 30-60 secured." Weiss report.

"Team JNPR, let's roll out." I said, standing. Nora and Ren sprinted forward, jumping from the rooftop and flying through the air. I leaped off, hitting the ground with a roll. The moment my shoes touched the ground, I shot forward, halting off the trashcan clear over the fence. The moment I landed, I darted to the left, my kagune boiling out of my back. It flung from my back, wrapping around the lock of the fence, hardening to a thick bone. It wouldn't for away for a very long time.

"Floors 60-90 clear."

We stepped inside, temporarily blockading the door. The place was dark, but comfy. We pulled apart the furniture, making as many makeshift beds as possible.

"Floors 90-120 secure." Weiss reported.

We went upstairs to floor 40, going into the cafeteria and grabbing all the food. Pyrrha had fun preparing it all, though there wasn't much we could do since we couldn't turn on the power until the morning. We'd alert them if we did.

"Floors 120-150 secure."

We returned to the lobby, scavenging the hard paper files for information that might help us. There wasn't really anything new.

"Floor 186 secure. We have control of the building! Ironwood's office is badass!" Yang cheered.

The elevator dinged as it opened, team RWBY walking out. Yang let out a cheer, several bottles nearly falling from her arms.

"Guess what we just found? Blooood chammmpaaagne!" She screamed. Blake set down a box, grabbing a glass from within.

"I found the glasses."

"Blood... Champagne?" Weiss said, furrowing her brow in disgust.

"Fermented blood, gets us drunk." Yang said, popping it open, sending the cork flying. "Tastes damn good too!"

"Ugh, Ghouls." She said, glancing away and crossing her arms.

I shook my head with a chuckle, turning to walk away.

"I'll go find some more blankets. It'll be a big day tomorrow!" I said.

"Aw, lighten up!" Pyrrha said, handing me a glass.

I sighed, taking it from her.

"Let's not get too drunk, alright?"

Everyone gave another 'woo!'

"Cheers." I said, holding up my glass and clanking it against Pyrrha's.

"Cheers!"


	26. The End

Y'know, after a few glasses of blood champagne, I nearly forgot about the most important step in the entire process. The actual bomb defusal squad!

The skyscraper was evacuated at 8 pm, bomb squad was in by 9. Rather slow, but I supposed I did but a 24 hour time limit, so they weren't in a rush. At 11, we ran in, partied, and claimed the place. At maybe 11:30, our partying had alerted the bomb squad. Radio didn't make shit distance through the underground floors that they were located, so the 4, yes, only 4 bomb defusers couldn't call for help. At midnight we remembered, giggling drunk, and went down and tied them up.

We got some rest, and slept in.

At 12, an 'anonymous' source (Totally not Saiko), leaked to the FBI and the media another .avi file. Guess what was on every channel within ten minutes.

**"It is time to reveal my true intentions. I am sorry for the bomb scare, I assure you there is no C4."**

Team RWBY, JNPR, and TKO, all sat on the couch, watching the lobby's TV.

In the video, the Midknight Owl's flesh opened up, and I watched as I walked out. I brushed back my chalky white hair, clearing my throat. God, you could just tell how nervous I was.

"Hello, Vale. I am Jaune Arc. I wish to tell you my story." I said, taking a seat in the video. "Believe it or not, I was a human." I said, letting my one eye dye black. "See this? This isn't natural. Usually both eyes are black. I could gouge my eye out to prove it's not a contact, but I assume most of the public would rather me not. So let me explain my story."

The newscasters looked back and forth, flabbergasted. The internal debate of letting it play was real.

"I was a human. I attended Beacon University, after a painful goodbye to my parents and my seven sisters. Please, bloodtest them. Take them to safety, I don't want them hurt. You'll find they aren't Ghouls. But to continue, I was, long story short, run over by a train. I was on a date, things got... hazy, boom, I'm dead. In my surgery, I woke up. There was two people operating on me. Akihiro Kanou and James Ironwood."

I paused for effect. Yes, I know I was technically lying, but I mean they did operate on me. I just don't remember it.

"James Ironwood is indeed a ghoul. I'll get onto that in a second. Not only is that true, but he is working with the CCG, and some other governmental organizations. In the file containing the video you are seeing is proof, redacted documents, messages between the two. Oh, and before I forget, I'll get to the skyscraper threat in a bit. It'll make sense."

The newscaster rubber her neck nervously.

"So, you'll find, soon enough, that the CCG has been working with a company lead by a Ghoul. Not only that, but they have been working on a plan for Genocide. Ironwood developed a handheld ghoul detector called the J.O.K.E.R system. This was to be used in the Beacon project, whose goal was to scan the population and eliminate all ghoul life. Now, you're probably wondering why the ghoul lead Atlas invented this. The reason why is they had a deal."

I zoned out a bit, my elaborate explanations of proofs and examples boring me.

"So, now we're onto what we're all wondering. Why did I threaten Atlas HQ. It's easy. I wanted Atlas evacuated, because I needed the building, and I didn't want to kill anyone. I may be a ghoul, but I'm not a monster. I try not to be. I want peace, cooexistence. Believe it or not, I'm dating a human."

"Hiii!"

"Shh! Don't show your face. We don't need the police going after your family." I said, turning back to the camera. "Hehe, sorry. Anyways, why did I need the tower? Well... Consider this the beginning of peace. I am opening up a Ghoul Nation. A nation that will protect any who enter, Ghoul or not. We will be limited to Atlas HQ's large lot, but its more than enough to house all ghouls within Vale, if we pack in. For food, we have Ironwood's built up supply, and trust me, there is a lot. The nation will be called Dove. Just... Dove."

I paused.

"Dove is slang for a CCG investigator, by the by. As an SSSS ranked Ghoul, I am more than capable of protecting all who come onto our land. I have... my assets situated around the ward. This entire sector is ours, really. We took it without you knowing. Sniper nests are everywhere. Don't be scared, though. We will only shoot those who try to force their way into Dove. Even then, 6 warning shots will be fired. 6! That should be plenty."

I shuffled in my seat.

"Let me summarize, so I don't get misinterpreted. This HQ building, in this suburban ward, is ours. We have secured it peacefully, and without killing. We even have the bomb squad alive, and will release them in the morning, unharmed. Any and all Ghouls or humans are welcomed onto our borders. If you are human, we will protect you from any asshole ghoul who tries to ruin it for everyone. I assure you most ghouls won't though, so feel free to join us. Any ghouls that come on our borders, rest easy. We have food. We have water. We even have coffee. We already have... two humans with us? Own free will."

Weiss walked on screen.

"Hello! I am a human. Well, it's... yeah. I'm actually a rogue investigator."

"Other one's my girlfriend, so I want her identity on the hidden side. Hope you understand." I said, giving a smile. "Now, you know what we are, and what we hopefully be. Let's talk the future. What do we want to happen? Well, we'll leave this up to you, for a little bit, but let's see what we can get set in stone so far. We want Atlas Co. dissolved, and their funds donated to a peaceful cooexistence group, like the White Fang. Though, since they were violent in the past, I understand you might be hesitant. Next, dissolve the CCG, or at least merge it with normal police task forces. The CCG is built on Genocidal intentions, and we all know this is bad. Washuu is literally hitler, just saying. I understand there will always be ghoul crime, same as there will always be normal crime, so Ghoul Investigators will be needed. But... but, instead I propose a better unit. The _Ghoul_ investigator. As in, Ghouls! Ghouls who join the task force. They could use their kagune to fight other criminal ghouls! Fantastic, right?! I'll volunteer, if you want. Everyone in this building right now, of which there are 11, will volunteer. So, media. I leave it to you. How will you view this situation. What path with you have humanity take?"

And the video ended, everyone cheering.

Cops swarmed the buildings within record time, sirens whirring. For a good hour, they didn't cross the border. Then, some idiot felt the need to climb up the fence. Pyrrha sighed, grabbing her rifle and going to the window.

_Bang!_

_..._

_Bang!_

_..._

_Bang!_

_..._

_Bang!_

_..._

_Bang!_

...

She didn't need to fire the sixth warning shot, the man was back over the edge. Another leaped over, Pyrrha taking a second to reload her rifle and firing again. The man stood his ground for all six, but luckily did hop back over.

The media was insane. Everyone was debating Ghoul ethics. What it meant to be human. Ghoul evolutionary theory, and how it was very possible they came from humans.

I gave a grin when I saw who was leading the discussion.

Akira Mado.

She was debating everything, and was on our side, believe it or not. She told the world about Cardin Winchester, the man who was human, but had evolved into a Ghoul. About how she had been working with Atlas Co. About how she knew I was human. What was the most surprising, however, was her view of the new world.

"There are basically enough dead bodies per year to feed the Ghouls." She had said, after explaining the numbers. "And furthermore, I was made aware of a drug synthesized from the caffeine in coffee beans, patented by Atlas Co. It's only name is JVK-1000-7, but we called it the 'RC'. A RC Cell depressant that's cheap to make, but is costly since Atlas is ramping up the prices for profit. Should the company be dissolved, it could enter common law, and become a prescription drug. With it, roughly 30% of the Ghoul Population could theoretically afford to become 'human', on their budget. If the government decides to attach it to healthcare, then it would work on roughly 80% of Ghoulkind. 20% are immune, but if we feed them people who donate their bodies to the cause, we could easily feed them. Easily."

"What about Ghoul organized crime?"

"Let's not pretend it's exclusive to Ghoulkind. There's Aogiri, yes, but what about the Yakuza? The Mafia? The Black Dragon Club? These are city issues, not Ghoul or Human. Other cities do not share the same organized crime. We could become the model for future cities. We can end the hatred between Ghoul and Human. I know... I know Cardin would have wanted that. Amon... would have wanted that."

"And Ghouls joining the task force?"

"We already had them. In fact, we turned ourselves into Ghouls in the Q surgery. By now, it's public knowledge, thanks to several whistleblowers."

"There really is no line between Human and Ghoul, is there?"

"No, ma'am. A trip to the Black Dragon club will show you that. We are defined by how many RC cells are in our butt, and that's it. A Human almost turn into a Ghoul, and a Ghoul can almost turn into a human."

"How has the CCG reacted?"

"Not well."

...

I turned my head, people rallying around the lot. Police, wielding riot shields, held the people back, but their chants were clearly audible.

'We are Ghoul! We want in! We are Human! We want in!"

I left the building, the press' cameras flashing. A million questions were fired at me at once, from behind the bars.

"We request the police leave so the others may enter if they wish. We will not force them to leave, as it says more about them then us."

I turned on my heel, a scream erupting from the crowd. A man charged forward, pushing aside the police and sprinting to the fence. They opened fire, another taking the opportunity and climbing over the fence. He rolled, hiding behind the concrete section of the fence.

I ran to his side, throwing his arm over my shoulder and firing out my kagune. It boiled out into a shield-like piece, bullets bouncing off of it in a show of sparks. I closed the doors behind me, lowering the man down.

His hair was a perfect white, his skin deathly pale.

It was Mercury.

"W-What?" I said in suprise.

"J-Jaune. Thank god." He said, bowing down.

"What are you doing here?"

"I-I was scared, Jaune. I was real, real scared. I couldn't hold the Shift territory all on my own, man. I just couldn't."

"Well, you're free to stay here." I said, giving a small smile. "Pyrrha, can you bring us that blanket?"

"Sure." She said, grabbing the first one and walking over to us. Mercury let out a scream as she approached, crawling away on his hands and knees.

"What's wrong?" I asked, running to his side.

"I-I won't her her, man! I swear! Don't do that shit to me again, please! I was bleeding out for like 2 days!"

I suppose he mean't how I killed the Shifts to 'avenge' Pyrrha.

"It's alright, Mercury. I won't hurt you again. I promise." I said, patting his head. "Pyrrha's real nice, she'll take care of you. I got to go back outside, okay?"

"...Okay." He said, nodding.

I went outside, helping people as they slowly hopped over the fence. You could tell the humans from the ghouls, because if they got shot, they would stay dead. It at least gave us some more food.

"Sir! Stay back!"

"I'm human! You can't shoot a human!" He shouted.

The man pulled himself over the edge, falling flat on his back. The police turned, sticking their rifles through the bars and unleashing a storm of bullets. With my eye pitch black, I shot forward, the bullets tearing through my flesh.

I turned my head to him, giving a painful smile.

"I got you."

His eyes twitched with fear, but even so, a light glowed beneath it.

Over the next week, roughly a thousand hopped over the edge. I estimate as high as a hundred of those were humans. Ozpin and Kaneki were having a fun time brewing coffee for the Ghouls and food for the humans, Tsukiyama preparing the Ghoul food.

Every day I would leave and answer questions from the press, though it was usually cut short by a few stray bullet shots.

On the 7th day, some jackass wanted to try to push us. The man wore a long white trench coat, briefcase at his side.

"Hello, Jaune. I am investigator Shinohara."

_BANG!_

"Hello. Would you like to come inside?"

_BANG!_

"Hmm, I think I'm quite alright where I am."

_BANG!_

"Do you really think you can take me?"

_BANG!_

"No. I'm just here to give a message. Even if that means dying."

_BANG!_

"That's a shame, investigator. I would have loved to work alongside you again."

With all the warning shots fired, he let out a scream and charged forward. His suitcase flew open, the arata quinque wrapping around him and forming the armor. He took out a lance, twirling it around his body and letting out a war cry.

I stabbed into his chest, my sword cracking through the armor and piercing through him.

"I'm sorry, investigator." I said, lowering his body to the ground.

"Fuck. you." He choked, stabbing the spear into my stomach. I didn't flinch, instead turning my face to the news reporters. Their faces were stretched in horror, not at either of us, but at the whole event.

I rose, Shinohara giving his last breath. Pulling the spear from my stomach, I threw it to the ground, walking and leaning my head against those iron gates.

"Why...?"

The reporters backed away, the SWAT teams raising their rifles.

"Just leave us alone. We don't want to hurt you."

The team fired, however only one of the guns was equipped with Q bullets. It hurt, but I only had been hit twice before I had leaped to the left behind the concrete cover of the fence.

...

**Akira:**

I stood in the office of Tsukeyoshi Washuu, the current chairman of the CCG.

"Are you going to participate in the final raid, or not?"

"There are humans in there, sir."

"And that's why we'll use the J.O.K.E.R systems. You know your mission. Push up to floor 40, where they are likely staying, and hijack the Goliath units. We will be sending in multiple knight units to assist, as well as a single P.E.N.N.Y unit."

"I question if this is necessary. How will this effect public opinion? It will be a massacre."

"We will do what the Washuu clan founded the CCG to do, eliminate or detain all Ghouls, so that they do not feed on humanity."

"Sir-"

"Enough, Akira. If you are unwilling, perhaps I will join the battle myself?" He said, standing. "Even in my old age, I have subdued many strong ghouls."

"This is an SSSS rank."

"Do you question my abilities?" He said, crossing his arms.

"Sir, let's stop this discussion, it's irrelevant. Can we please just calm down and wait to see how the masses react? Doing this mission may end the CCG."

He have a small exhale in amusement.

"Very well, I will not go myself. Perhaps my golden age is done."

"Thank you, sir."

"You desire to end this peacefully, no?" He said, scratching at his beard.

"I don't want anyone else to die... Ghoul or not."

"My family line dates back to the ages of samurai and knights, and always have we slayed Ghouls. You expect me to just dishonor that tradition?"

I swallowed, my hand shaking with the paper in its hand

"I'm afraid it's illegal now, sir."

"Excuse me?"

"Dove has declared itself it's own nation. It has a defined territory, Atlas HQ, as well as three leading parties known as TKO, RWBY, and JNPR. It has a formal declaration of independence, as well as the needed 10 reasons for separation. Using money taken from what I assume is the black market, they have purchased the skyscraper from Atlas HQ, and returned key data that might have been leaked."

"That's preposterous. It's Valian soil."

"Even so, it's gone viral on social media. The United Nations of Remnant has officially recognized it's legitimacy, placing it on level with the Vatican. Not only that, but Valian law says that once land is bought, it is the property of the owner. On top of this, the HQ of Atlas is located in the Patch district, a synthetic island built by Atlas Co, thus not making it Valian territory in the first place."

"..."

"And, though it should be obvious, they have a dedicated population. And due to the black market of Black Dragon, it does have a functioning economy."

"This is ridiculous."

"It might not technically meet all the requirements for a nation, but its got enough behind it that people will turn a blind eye to the things it doesn't meet. The micronation of Dove is, by all means, independent. We aren't allowed to invade it."

"When did the world become so welcoming towards ghouls?!" He yelled, slamming his fist down.

"Ghoul deaths are never reported on, and still never measure up to the body counts of drunk drivings, mass shootings, terrorism, and so on. The average man in the public doesn't care. Ghouls are only 1% of the population. Show them some sappy pictures of the tragedies that have been occurring like the White Fang has been doing, and you are set."

"Dammit..."

"You are beat, sir."

...

**Jaune: **

It was done. Sloppily, yes, but done. I didn't realize all the shit you needed to make a nation, I really didn't come close. Luckily, though, we had garnered enough support from the average man to do it. you'd think with all the fear mongering on the news that the ghouls would rule the world in fear, but that wasn't it. The average man never met a ghoul, and just equated him to a boogeyman. Other threats like high suicide rates, drunk driving accidents, mass shootings, equality of the LGBT communities, and the sorts all garnered more attention.

Show them how the government has been treating what they, for all intents and purposes, think human, and they are disgusted. The nation is embarrassed.

The CCG was dissolved within 30 days.

Within 60, the ruling council of Vale ruled Ghouls equal.

Within 65, the donor feed body act was put in place, allowing many to donate their bodies to Ghouls. Not nearly as many signed up as the original calculations needed, however with the JVK-1000-7 drug, now called the 'RC' was cheap to produce and in public domain, Ghouls didn't need to feed as often and could, depending on the dose, even eat human food.

Ghouls were placed on the task force, finally earning their place along the classic Vale Police Force.

Anti-ghoulism did exist, but mostly in the VPF where that status was actually known, as well as having many Ex-CCG members.

It may not have been a fire-filled, action packed victory, but that was what was great about it. We won. Once Vale introduced those laws, Most Ghouls returned to Vale.

I held Pyrrha's hand, pressing it against my cheek.

There were still problems. Aogiri and other organizations existed, and the Black Dragon Club still stood as the center of the black market. Even so, they no longer were the center of the 'ghoul problem', but rather, the center of organized crime.

We won.

**A/N: That's it! We are done. Hopefully you guys enjoyed everything, I know this isn't a typical finale. I thought the slaying of Arima and Eto was a plenty good climax, along with Jaune regaining his morals. Thank you all for putting up with my writing haha! I hope I made something you could mind!**


End file.
